Collaboratories, Workshops and Roundtables
Our collaboratories are time-bound problem-solving groups which focus on particular sustainability challenges.
What Is a Collaboratory?
Many sustainability challenges can only be addressed collaboratively, amongst groups of companies, and between businesses, academics and policy makers.
Collaborative enquiry and action lie at the heart of the solutions-finding process, and hence are central to CPSL’s support for business. Our working models range from practice-focused workshops to high-level roundtables, summits and fully fledged ‘collaboratories’ (collaborative laboratories) lasting between six months and two years.
The collaboratories are time-bound problem-solving groups which focus on particular sustainability challenges (for example food security, water scarcity, energy demand) or business issues (for example valuation, risk, standards, sourcing) with a view to finding solutions to problems at scale.
What Does a Collaboratory Involve?
- A core group of business practitioners with particular interest in the issues
- Initial evidence gathering and analysis to set the scene for the collaboratory challenge
- Expertise, including from the University of Cambridge and its partners, to help the group explore the barriers and opportunities behind the challenge
How Does a Collaboratory Work?
Discussions begin by focusing on the leverage points for substantive and implementable change, informed by commissioned research and expertise.
The aim is to build momentum for implementation, unlock the barriers to opportunities and provide new understanding or cooperation to members of the group.
Participants in collaboratories are asked to contribute both financially and with their time to ensure the outputs are applicable and implementable by business.