Sustainable Business Institute (Germany)

The Sustainable Business Institute (SBI), registered as Sustainable Business Institute e.V., is a German research institute based in Oestrich-Winkel. Founded in 1987, it conducts research on questions of sustainable business and develops concrete initiatives together with partners from science, business, society and politics. Its stated mission is to achieve impact for sustainable development on a scientific basis. The institute's founding impulse was to contribute to the development of theoretical foundations of economic value creation and transformation by engaging with practical questions, and to develop initiatives useful to society, business and politics. This mandate continues to shape its work. SBI argues that political and economic decisions require both subject-specific and transdisciplinary, integrative scientific support, especially in the context of complex ecological, social and economic challenges. A central theme of SBI's research is the adequate recognition of nature's contribution to economic value creation, which it describes as an ongoing task for economics and philosophy. Its innovation-economics perspective combines research on new forms of responsible entrepreneurship and investment with questions of governance and the development of framework conditions, enabling scientific accompaniment of transformation processes. The monetary perspective is seen as crucial for explaining economic dynamics and for discovering degrees of freedom and limits. SBI operates as a non-profit association (e.V.) and works through partnerships across sectors. Its website presents sections on its work, topics, partners and contact, and it positions itself as a long-standing actor in the German sustainable business research landscape.

The Sustainable Business Institute (SBI) was founded in 1987 in Germany. According to its own account, the starting point for the institute's founding was to contribute to the development of theoretical foundations of economic value creation and transformation by engaging with practical questions, and to develop initiatives useful to society, business and politics. This founding mandate has continued to shape its work. From its base in Oestrich-Winkel, SBI has pursued research on sustainable business, combining subject-specific expertise with transdisciplinary and integrative scientific approaches. Its work addresses the complex ecological, social and economic challenges that confront political and economic decision-makers. A recurring theme in its research is the adequate recognition of nature's contribution to economic value creation, which it frames as both an economics and a philosophical task. Over the decades, SBI has developed an innovation-economics perspective that combines research on new forms of responsible entrepreneurship and investment with questions of governance and the development of framework conditions. This allows the institute to provide scientific accompaniment to transformation processes. The institute notes that many current and former members have contributed to theory development in various ways, and that this work continues. SBI operates as a registered association (e.V.) and collaborates with partners from science, business, society and politics. Its website presents its research topics, partners and contact information, and it continues to position itself as a research institute dedicated to achieving impact for sustainable development on a scientific basis.

• 1987

  Sustainable Business Institute founded in Germany.

A non-profit research institute that combines subject-specific and transdisciplinary science to support sustainable economic transformation, working with partners from science, business, society and politics.

• Research on sustainable business and transformation

• Innovation economics research

• Governance and framework conditions research

• Cross-sector initiatives for sustainable development

1. 1Sustainable Business Institute e.V. – official websitesbi21.de
2. 2Sustainable Business Institute (Germany) – Wikidatawikidata.org