Circular Economy and Women Entrepreneurship for the UN-SDGs
Name of applicant
Devika Kannan
Institution
University of Southern Denmark
Amount
DKK 4,916,700
Year
2021
Type of grant
Semper Ardens: Accelerate
What?
The aim of CEWE-UN SDGs is to launch a new research agenda exploring the nexus of women entrepreneurship (WE) and circular economy (CE). The project also aims to develop a novel toolkit for women entrepreneurs to perform circular business, which contributes to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Specifically, this project helps to reverse the declining rate of women/female entrepreneurs in Denmark by innovative thinking and designing business practices for a circular economy to achieve the UN SDGs.
Why?
Circular economy and UN SDGs have been a popular topic in recent years. Smaller, less-established businesses are more likely to pursue sustainability-related opportunities because entrepreneurial ventures are more flexible and can adapt their business models to bring about radical sustainability-oriented innovations. Recently, from a sustainability perspective, women entrepreneurs represent the fastest-growing category of entrepreneurship worldwide who positively contribute to true sustainable development. However, despite the topic's popularity, there is a scarcity of knowledge in the academic literature and business practice about how entrepreneurs behave and launch new ventures in a circular economy.
How?
This project includes three interrelated work packages that uniquely contribute to developing a new theory named circular women entrepreneurship to achieve UN SDGs. This project utilizes various qualitative and quantitative research methods such as systematic literature reviews, surveys, focus groups, expert opinion, case studies, and interviews. Thus, this project paves the way for collaboration with national and international experts within the fields of the circular economy and women entrepreneurship.