Experiencing the hub For students and alumni of Católica Porto Business School, the hub is not an abstract institutional initiative but a lived ecosystem. Engagement typically occurs through project-based courses, executive workshops, interdisciplinary collaborations and direct interaction with companies and public organisations.
intensive academic experiences. Hub programmes and offerings are deliberately experiential, confronting participants with real-world trade-offs and dilemmas rather than abstract frameworks. One defining feature is the integration of sustainability literacy assessment tools, such as Sulitest’s TASK, which allow both participants and educators to track progress across environmental, social and governance dimensions. Results here consistently show measurable improvements in systems thinking and sustainability understanding, reinforcing the value of structured yet reflective learning journeys. • Applied research and innovation form the second pillar. Supported by strong links with Católica Porto Business School’s Research Centre in Management and Economics and the Faculty of Biotechnology’s Centre of Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry, the hub has contributed to more than 250 scientific publications and supported more than 30 innovation projects. These span a range of sectors, including food systems, fashion, housing, chemicals and territorial development, with a focus on circular and regenerative business models. • Ecosystem engagement is perhaps the hub’s most distinctive achievement. What began as an interdisciplinary initiative has evolved into a transdisciplinary platform aggregating more than 100 entities, including corporations, municipalities, business clusters, universities and civil society organisations. This ecosystem approach enables experimentation at the ‘niche’ level while influencing broader organisational and sectoral practices. • Literacy and advocacy activities extend the hub’s reach beyond formal education. Conferences, public talks, youth-oriented initiatives and international gatherings have reached approximately 1,400 participants to date, fostering shared language and collective learning around sustainability and regeneration. In particular, the hub’s annual International Conference on Innovation, Sustainability and Regeneration is now approaching its sixth edition and has become a focal point for global dialogue and knowledge exchange. It brings together researchers, companies, practitioners and impact-driven initiatives from around the world to foster shared learning and the dissemination of good practice across diverse communities.
“It is through experiential learning, dialogue and co-creation that mindsets shift and new governance logics emerge”
12 Business Impact • ISSUE 1 • 2026
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