What if businesses regenerated the social-ecological system instead of harming it?
Francesco Rosati teaches Sustainable Business Innovation in the Executive MBA at DTU, where he engages both sustainability enthusiasts and skeptical business leaders in discussions about how companies can create positive social and environmental impact through entrepreneurship and innovation.
"We are not just talking about sustainability. We are talking about our common future. It is about thinking long-term and creating business models that regenerate the social and ecological systems they are part of," he says.
Regeneration can be seen as a step beyond traditional sustainability. While sustainability is typically about minimizing negative impacts and “doing no harm”, regeneration is about actively rebuilding and strengthening the social and ecological systems we are part of.
He defines it as an approach where companies not only avoid harming the environment and society but instead help regenerate them. This includes restoring damaged ecosystems, supporting local communities and creating business models that work in symbiosis with nature.
Dialogue-based and practical teaching
With dialogue-based teaching, cases and group projects, he manages to make the sustainability agenda relevant and concrete, even for those who are initially critical.
A concrete example of a company working with regenerative practices is the search engine Ecosia, which uses its profits to restore and protect biodiversity hotspots and foster collective climate action.
According to Francesco Rosati, this is both “noble” and a concrete business opportunity, and this dual potential is at the heart of his research and teaching. He often encounters resistance from participants who are skeptical about sustainability as a business opportunity.
"Some see it as a cost rather than an investment. My job is to create dialogue and show how sustainability can be a driver for entrepreneurship and innovation," he explains.
Excels in both teaching and research
Stig Andersen, Program Director for the Executive MBA programme at DTU, is behind one of many nominations of Francesco Rosati for Poets & Quants' list:
”Francesco exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional professor, researcher, and educator, making him a standout candidate for this prestigious recognition,” says Stig Andersen and adds:
”His ability to connect cutting-edge sustainability concepts to real-world business challenges equips students with the tools to lead responsibly in an evolving global landscape. Francesco’s sessions are enriched with up-to-date articles and data, ensuring that the content is reliable and trustworthy. His extensive use of primary and recent research literature in the presentations sets a high academic standard that inspires trust and intellectual curiosity”.
As a researcher, Francesco Rosati has published world-class research and received several recognitions and awards, including the Tietgen Award from the Danish Society for Education and Business (DSEB) and a Semper Ardens Accelerate grant from the Carlsberg Foundation, which explores how business model innovation can help tackle societal grand challenges.
He intends to celebrate the recognition with his wife over a glass of champagne.
"This recognition is also important for DTU. It shows that our Executive MBA programme is among the best in the world, and that we take sustainability seriously," he concludes.
