Citizens provide added value to business
As part of the PERISCOPE project, Hanze University of Applied Sciences has developed a Bottom-Up Business Opportunities (BUBO) methodology, a participative backcasting method where individuals or groups of individuals determine a desirable future, and from that perspective, look at what needs to be done today in order to reach that future. The BUBO method is primarily aimed at discovering and developing new types of business activities or business opportunities together with citizens. It is not just about business in the sense of a way of making money here, but rather about developing something new that also has social and ecological value, thus something that also has positive effects on the environment and the quality of life. The method has been developed by Dr Egbert Dommerholt and Derwin Schorren as part of their work at the Biobased Economy Research Centre at Hanze University.
The BUBO-methodology is explained in the recently published booklet ‘Citizens provide added value to business’, which aims to promote the transition to a sustainable society. The first copy of the booklet was presented to Siem Jansen, the director of the federation Nationaal Programma Groningen (National Programme Groningen, NPG) on the 15th of May. NPG aims to shape the future of the province of Groningen together with its inhabitants and does that by bringing together people and ideas and combining the forces of citizens, organizations, companies and governmental bodies. These principles match well with the BUBO-methodology.
The digital version is available here.
Image © Geert Job Sevink