Pitch Day at Campus Gotland concluded TUFF-funded course in sustainable entrepreneurship
On 16 January, a Pitch Day was held at Campus Gotland as part of the course Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Sustainability. The course has been developed with support from the Faculty Fund for Educational Development (TUFF) and brings together students, external stakeholders, and university colleagues to work on sustainable business ideas.
The course was developed and delivered by Olivia Liu, University Lecturer, together with Lars Ericsson, and Soraya Hossain. The course is a collaboration between the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering and the Department of Game Design. The aim has been to create a learning environment where students and professionals can meet in the same classroom and work together on entrepreneurship linked to sustainability.
During the autumn semester, students worked on developing business models and business plans through teaching, supervision, and coaching. The course concluded with a Pitch Day, where five student groups presented their projects to an invited panel.
A broad range of sustainability-driven business ideas
The student presentations covered several thematic areas with a focus on sustainability. The ideas included projects related to mobile game development, board games, sustainable food, a tourism app, and a concept for sustainable events. Each presentation was followed by questions, discussion, and feedback from the panel.
Guests included representatives from Science Park Gotland, Almi, UU Innovation, and Tillväxt Gotland, as well as colleagues from the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering and the Department of Game Design. Several of these actors have also contributed to the course through preparation and delivery.
Collaboration as a pedagogical approach
The course was developed in collaboration with external partners, including Science Park Gotland, UU Innovation, Almi, Tillväxt Gotland, Gotland Grönt Centrum, Stora Karlsö, and Medeltidsveckan. Through this collaboration, students were able to engage with perspectives and experiences from both academia and professional practice.
“The course has been very well received, and we plan to offer it again. We are also interested in collaborations and guest contributions from both academia and other fields,” says Olivia Liu. “Anyone interested is welcome to get in touch.”
Olivia Liu, University Lecturer, and Soraya Hossain, PhD student
Funding for the course was provided through TUFF, the Faculty Fund for Educational Development at the Faculty of Science and Technology. The fund supports pedagogical development projects that introduce new educational ideas and methods with potential for broader application within undergraduate and master’s level education.
The course is planned to be offered again in the autumn semester of 2026, both as a regular course for students (1TG336) and as part of lifelong learning (1TG337).
Peter Westman