There are two business projects available- students will be allocated to a project prior to the commencement of the course.

Project 1:

Business Partner: CO2 Management AS, Bergen, Norway

Title: Risk Management Strategy for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) businesses

Objective: Develop a comprehensive risk framework for insurance coverage in the CCS sector.

This project is focused on understanding and modeling the risks associated with the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) value chain. The main objectives are:

1.  Identification of Potential Risks: The first step is to identify the potential risks that could occur at each stage of the CCS value chain.

2.  Analysis of Insurance Companies’ Approaches: This involves studying how insurance companies assess these risks, their risk preferences, and the tariffs they apply for insuring against CCS value chain risks.

3.  Development of a Risk Model: The final goal is to create a comprehensive model that accurately represents the risks across the entire CCS value chain. This model will serve as a valuable tool for risk management in CCS operations.

Project 2: 

Business Partner: McKinsey

Title: Green Start Ups and how McKinsey can help them grow.

Objective: The objective is to evaluate the ecosystem of green start-ups in Austria and Switzerland. Additionally, the project aims to assess how McKinsey can contribute to the growth of these green start-ups.

Aim: To enable CEMS students to create both globally comparable and locally specific insights from 10 countries, enable by guidance from McKinsey.

Methodologies: A diverse set of research methods will be used: desk research, unstructured and/or structured interviews and problem solving sessions.

End Product:

 You will:

1. Map the national green start-up ecosystem with a focus on green innovation startups post Series A: This involves mapping firms within that eco-system, assessing what  problems and issues they address.

2. Analyze what McKinsey is currently offering: an assessment of what McKinsey is currently offering to drive sustainability for their clients.

3. Identify white spots: identification of white spots in McKinsey's sustainability offerings and recommend how McKinsey could offer them.

This project will involve weekly coaching sessions from McKinsey.

Knowledge and Understanding 

After completing the course, students will have: 

• extended their knowledge of current business sustainability issues and challenges
• Knowledge of best practices of leading organisations 
• learned how to collect, analyse and structure data 
• developed project management skills 
• received feedback from practitioners on the outcome of their analysis and the viability of their recommendations.

No late assignments will be accepted under any circumstances. 

Presence in sessions is mandatory, given the importance of personal interaction between students, corporate partner and faculty. More than two absences will lead to exclusion from the seminar. 

To participate, students will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. 

Teaching and Learning Methods:

The business project uses a combination of discussions with company representatives, feedback sessions, presentations, group coaching as well as work outside the classroom.. 

In the first kick- off session with faculty, the challenges and milestones of the case will be outlined, At the same time, students will be familiarised with the guiding principles of project work, with the project plan and rules in the handling of faculty/ company. 

Afterwards, the students will officially kick off the project in collaboration with their company. In a plenary session, the organisation will outline the challenges from their perspective and provide useful input for the project and will provide input for the project and the specific challenges to be dealt with. As a result of this, students will come up with the precise scope of the project. 

Throughout the process, coaching and feedback sessions with faculty/company will take place to make sure that the students are on track and get the relevant input needed at each project phase. During the project, you will be supported and coached by company representatives. 

Assessment:

Results will be presented to the company mid-term and at the end of the process.  Verbal and printed presentations will be assessed. 

Assessment will be based upon the quality of the mid-term and end-term presentation, the final report, participation during classes and group members peer review.  

Group level (80%): mid- term presentation (20%) end –term presentation (30%) Final report (PPT) (30%) 

Individual level (20%): Peer review (20%), 

Please log in with your WU account to use all functionalities of read!t. For off-campus access to our licensed electronic resources, remember to activate your VPN connection connection. In case you encounter any technical problems or have questions regarding read!t, please feel free to contact the library at readinglists@wu.ac.at.