Karlshochschule International University

Business Model Innovation at Aarhus University

Autor: Prof. Dr. Bernd Ankenbrand am 13.04.2011

Unfortunately I missed todays Karlshochschule university trip, including climbing challenges at the Gate  - “Großer Abenteuer Turm”  (= Big Adventure Tower) and a well-attended barbecue. Judging by the pictures and comments on facebook, it must have been a great event. Too bad I missed it.

Well -  thanks to an ERASMUS teaching scholarship, I am currently at Aarhus University`s Institute of Business and Technology in Denmark. As part of a packed program I had very interesting meetings for example with Professor Mogens Dilling-Hansen, head of the Master in Marketing and Business Innovation, and Ebbe Rasmussen, head of the International Office. The core focus of my visit is to get to know Aarhus University and to teach on Business Model Innovation. I already had lectures and will have more during this week both with Master students and faculty members.

In this post here I don´t want to lecture on Business Model Innovation, but I am asking you for your insights. Having walked around the campus and its surroundings I discovered some attention-grabbing objects leaving me wondering if there could be a business model around them:

Alone in a Sculpture Garden: there is a fascinating sculpture garden next the University. Via google maps you actually can see the geometric structure much better than from the ground. Maybe due to the windy weather conditions I was there completely alone.

With my lecture on business model innovation only a few minutes ago, I was wondering what kind of value proposition this abandoned sculpture garden could possibly have and how a profitable business model for this poor garden could look like. I am blank. Do you have any suggestion? I am curious to hear your thoughts. Drop me a line …

If you have a hard time finding an answer, walk the stairway of motivation. When I climbed the stairs in the Innovatorium, I noticed words of motivating. Smart idea.