Sustainability as a business opportunity for Royal Haskoning

Abstract

This project explores the opportunity of sustainability for Royal Haskoning (RH) to enrich its business. Reason for this study are the sounds heard that sustainability creates smaller and bigger changes in many sectors, and RH showing to be eager to aid in providing the needed technological innovation. As an engineering consultant however, RH is not innovative in the way required for sustainability: it is positioned at the final, highly defined stages of companies’ development processes. A first step in looking for ways to aid companies in their transition towards sustainability is therefore redefining the relation of RH and its clients. A research carried out among RH’s relations firstly verifies the demand for engineering knowledge in the field of sustainability. Secondly, it defines the field in which innovation for sustainability comes across, leading to an opportunity for the engineering consultant: Using a collaborative form of product development termed ‘open innovation’, the engineering consultant is thought to highly participate in companies’ innovation processes. That is, provided it lives up to certain game play. This new game play suggests the engineering consultant to take up the role of a matchmaker. In a collaborative context it will develop technology that creates new links between demand and offer. The research also points at a major hurdle for engineering consultants moving to this position: their focus on short term. A new way is suggested for Royal Haskoning as an organization to fit in the role of matchmaker by partially changing its business model to one that allows a long term approach. By setting up a separate structure termed ‘Royal Match’, RH employees are given the opportunity to develop technology in collaboration with clients and other partners. Additionally this project presents a conceptual tool design assisting employees in working with this new program.