Validating developed business model concepts

It was the 4th time that Karbonmat researchers participated in the New Business Model (NBM) Conference. This time the conference took place in Toulouse and for the first time Karbonmat arranged its own workshop!

The NBM is an annual international conference that gathers business model researchers from all over the world. Professor Natalia Mæhle and Research Professor Pia Piroschka Otte used this opportunity to validate developed business model concepts in Karbonmat with international business model scholars. The researchers arranged a workshop entitled “Innovative business models in the agrifood sector”.

The workshop started with an introductory round of all participants followed by a presentation of the Karbonmat project and developed business model scenarios.

Participants were then asked to work in pairs and provide input on possible improvements of the presented business model concepts from their own specific backgrounds. There were in total 4 groups working on this. The Karbonmat team received several constructive suggestions. One idea was to include several social values in the value proposition of the business model concepts, for example by branding products from farms that improve soil health and store carbon. Another suggestion was to strengthen co-creation by including peer-to-peer learning of farmers, which can be an important component of the business model design.

The Karbonmat scholars returned home with these inspirations to discuss with the rest of the project team on how to include feedback in the further business model design.

Karbonmat approaches slowly its end. A last round of consultation with its Multi Actor Platform (MAP) is planned in October 2026.

Karbonmat has followed a comprehensive approach of collecting data for designing sustainable business model concepts for fostering carbon sequestration in Norwegian agriculture. The project also presented preliminary results to The Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Climate and Environment in June.

All inputs will be put together and presented at the final conference in 2027. Stay tuned for more information!