On March 10th, research associate Leonie Schlüter successfully defended her PhD thesis titled “Designing Systems for Sustainability: An Explorative Analysis of the Orchestrator Role in Industrial Ecosystems Evolution and Sustainable Business Model Innovation” at Aalborg University, Denmark. She conducted her PhD project at Aalborg University Business School in collaboration with Port of Aalborg A/S, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Allan N. Gjerding and co-supervision of Prof. Lone Kørnøv.
The thesis investigated how secondary stakeholders, such as local governments, port authorities, and universities, can help drive sustainability transitions by taking on a dual orchestrator role: supporting firms in developing sustainable business models and driving the evolution of industrial ecosystems. This dual role has received little academic attention to date.
By viewing both sustainable business models and industrial ecosystems through the lens of orchestration, the project expanded the thin overlap between the emerging sustainable business model literature and the established industrial ecosystem field. The research was based on a strong engagement with practice and a triangulation of qualitative methods, including case studies of the Port of Aalborg and GreenLab in Denmark. The results identify orchestration activities, recurring patterns, and competencies, and introduce a process model for the evolution of industrial ecosystems.
These findings offer practical guidance for strengthening collaboration and sustainability in regional economies. Public actors can use these insights to design more effective support programs and policies—and to actively shape sustainability transitions through orchestration.
The PhD defense began with a presentation of the research, followed by a constructive discussion with the assessment committee: Assoc. Prof. Jesper Lindgaard Christensen, Prof. Jenny Palm, and Prof. Lori DiVito. After the questions from the assessment committee and the audience were addressed, the committee convened and shared their final assessment of the PhD thesis. The event concluded with a reception to celebrate the successful defense.
Leonie Schlüter is currently continuing her research as a postdoctoral researcher at the Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovative Business Models.
Find more information about the defense here. You can find and read more about the studies that entered the PhD thesis here.
Picture: Leonie Schlüter.