Joint Laboratory for Research in Innovation, Business Models, and Strategy – L-RIMAS

The Joint Laboratory (LabCom) for Research in Innovation, Business Models, and Strategy (L-RIMAS) is based on the collaboration between the startup Sween and the Strategic Management department of the Montpellier Research in Management (MRM-MS) research laboratory at the University of Montpellier.
On one side, the startup Sween aims to sustainably transform the relationship between users (individuals, local authorities, businesses, etc.) and their electricity consumption through an innovative business model. To achieve this, the company must identify which strategy(ies) will simultaneously support and sustain the development of its societal and green innovation, while engaging users and the ecosystem in this new collaborative business model. On the other side, the MRM-MS scientific team has recognized expertise in Social Sciences and Humanities (SHS), particularly in management sciences. The members of this research department are conducting research on inter-organizational relationships (collaboration and coopetition) for innovation. They have explored several cases of alliances and coopetition, both multiple and asymmetrical (between large companies and startups), for the development of innovations in high-tech sectors and the energy sector.
This public/private partnership has existed since 2021 and enables the co-creation, dissemination, and valorization of knowledge. MRM-MS and Sween seek to strengthen this collaboration and combine their expertise to provide concrete solutions in terms of strategy and business models to issues related to the development of societal and sustainable innovations. The creation of this LabCom is driven by the need to generate knowledge on the emergence of new business models that startups can offer to address the systemic disruptions caused by environmental and climate changes. The objective is to identify the business model(s) that a startup can use to transform societal and sustainable innovations into a solid competitive advantage.
To achieve this, two research axes are proposed:
- The first axis will focus on studying the collaboration strategies to be integrated into the business model(s). This will involve identifying key partners (who?) and the forms of collaboration to be developed (how?). Particular attention will be paid to the potentially asymmetrical nature of these collaborations due to Sween’s size. Research conducted within this axis will also aim to identify governance tools and mechanisms necessary for managing these collaborations.
- The second axis will address the acceptability of a societal and sustainable innovation within the ecosystem. This will require a thorough study of how different ecosystem members perceive societal and sustainable innovations. Special attention will be given to users to understand the barriers to adoption and to identify the levers that could facilitate the acceptance and use of the innovation.
The findings from research in these two axes will help define the three dimensions of the business model that will allow Sween to remain competitive in the collective self-consumption sector: value proposition, value architecture, and revenue equation. More broadly, these findings will show how a startup can leverage a societal and sustainable innovation to enter a dynamic of long-term growth and competitiveness. The results will be directly applicable by Sween and will be valorized through the co-authoring of articles submitted to ranked academic journals in management sciences and innovation management, as well as to mainstream journals.