The central objective of the research group Sustainability on the corporate and product level is to support sustainable development by integrating sustainability into business activities, products and services and to demonstrate the consequences of such integration. This implies that research is conducted about the operationalization of sustainable development at the corporate and the product/service level as well as about the motivation of companies to act in (more) sustainable ways. A particlar focus is on the potential of circular economy and of digitalization for a sustainable transformation. Following research topics are addressed in detail:

• Corporate sustainability management: Research in this field is conducted to determine the fundamental motivations of companies to act in more sustainable ways, examine organizational culture and corporate sustainability and develop frameworks for corporate sustainability management.
• Corporate sustainability strategies and sustainable/circular business models: Research in this field is conducted to develop and implement corporate sustainability strategies and identify the drivers, barriers, and impacts of sustainable business models.
• Sustainability assessment: Research in this field deals with environmental and social impact assessments using qualitative and quantitative data.
• Sustainable innovation: Research in this field is conducted to identify innovation processes related to sustainability while placing a focus on open innovation.
• Sustainable product design and management: Research is conducted to develop and improve frameworks and instruments for sustainable product and service design, sustainable supply chain management, and inter-organizational cooperation.
• Sustainability and digitalization: Research in this field focuses on the role of digitalization for improving sustainability on the corporate and product/service level.