"With SoNaR, we are creating an ecosystem for social innovation and sustainable start-ups. By providing impetus for innovation, consulting services, and peer-to-peer learning, we support people interested in starting a business and founders in maximizing their social and ecological impact," explains Prof. Dr. Martin Sieber, co-director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and SMEs (CENTIM) at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. “Especially in view of the diverse global challenges of our time, such companies play an important role in social change processes. With the Impact Cluster, we are creating a network that drives social and ecological transformation in the region and beyond,” emphasizes Sandra Speer, head of the Transfer Center enaCom at the University of Bonn. And according to Prof. Dr. Stephan Hankammer, Professor of Sustainable Business Management at the Department of Economics at Alanus University, “young entrepreneurs in particular should be encouraged to anchor the common good in their business model and thus fulfill their role as forward-looking game changers.”
Social and sustainable business
SoNaR strengthens the public welfare-oriented start-up culture in the region, opens up new opportunities for social and sustainable business, and promotes a future-proof, climate-friendly business landscape. The project offers practical formats for those interested in starting a business and existing companies. The project partners already have strong expertise in research and teaching, particularly in the areas of green economy, sustainable business, and circular economy, which will be incorporated into the consulting services. Topics covered by the funded start-ups may include sustainable supply chains, the transition to a circular economy, sustainable construction, and renewable raw materials. The project thus also makes a decisive contribution to the implementation of key climate targets and strengthens the regional economy in terms of sustainable transformation.
Games and accessibility: playful interaction and social participation
The two areas of “games” and ‘accessibility’ will be developed as further thematic priorities with corresponding networks. “Both are currently particularly dynamic areas of innovation with great potential for social innovation,” says Prof. Dr. Adrian Hermann, who conducts research on both topics at the International Science Forum at the University of Bonn and is a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) “Individuals and Societies.” In close partnership with the Bonn Lab for Analog Games and Imaginative Play (LAGIP), business ideas from game development are promoted and playful aspects of social businesses are strengthened. With a focus on accessibility, start-up projects with an integrative approach that aim to include underrepresented groups in social life are supported. These may be people with disabilities, people with a migration background, or people from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
Partnership between Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, the University of Bonn, and Alanus University
The Impact Cluster is being implemented in a partnership between three universities that are already heavily involved in the fields of entrepreneurship and sustainability: Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS), the University of Bonn, and Alanus University in Alfter. This interdisciplinary collaboration creates a strong network that benefits from the different areas of expertise. H-BRS coordinates the network and contributes its extensive experience in business start-up consulting. The University of Bonn provides in-depth advice on the specific focus areas of “games” and “accessibility.” Alanus University strengthens the network with its special focus on sustainable business. It has long been committed to sustainable and social transformation, among other things through the integration of social and ecological priorities in its teaching and its Institute for Regenerative Economy (REGWI).
Further information can be found on the SoNaR website: https://www.h-brs.de/de/centim/sonar