Mapping regenerative business practices

This project aims to support a research initiative focused on studying business models and strategies for regeneration. Given the ongoing degradation of natural environments in Spain and across Europe, it is increasingly important for companies to develop sustainable business models. Regeneration represents an ambitious and innovative approach in this context, as it goes beyond simply reducing negative impacts to proactively restoring and enhancing socio-ecological systems through targeted business strategies.

While the promise of regenerative business is significant, knowledge gaps remain—particularly regarding how companies from different sectors adopt and implement regenerative practices. Existing studies, including work carried out by the proponents of this project (under a grant from the Ministry), have mainly focused on the agri-food sector. What is still missing, however, is an understanding of how businesses in other sectors define, interpret, and put into practice regeneration strategies.

The project seeks to address this gap by investigating how firms adopt regenerative strategies, what concrete practices they implement, and what drivers and barriers shape their efforts. Its contribution is both academic and practical: academically, it will provide large-scale evidence on regenerative practices across sectors; practically, it will generate insights and pathways that can guide managers in adopting regenerative approaches.

Currently, there is little empirical evidence on the micro-level activities that companies undertake to operationalize regenerative business models. By identifying these activities across sectors, the project will help build a stronger basis for the diffusion of regenerative practices in the corporate world.

The funding requested will support complementary research activities linked to a grant already awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Specifically, the funds will be used to hire a research assistant to conduct web scraping and identify companies claiming to pursue regenerative initiatives, as well as potential data sources of regenerative companies. Additional funding will support the organization of a workshop to gather feedback from colleagues working in this field and cover participation in a relevant international event to present the research findings.

Workplan

M1-M12
Web scrapping for the identification of companies pursuing (claiming to pursue) regenerative initiatives.
Database building (on initiatives and contacts for interviews, case studies)

M6-M12
Dissemination of early findings in specialized stakeholders' events.

M9-M11
Organization of a workshop in Barcelona to gather feedback from scholars in the regenerative businesses field.