Sustainable Business Model for Renewable Energy Technology in Rwanda; A case study of Autonome Infrastructure AB

Abstract: During the last decades, business literature has gradually developed interest towards the concept of Business Model. While companies were starting to understand its potential, the design of Business Model has arrived to two main frameworks, the Business Model Canvas and the Value Proposition Canvas, which have been generally accepted for their ability to easily show the complexity of the organization. Meanwhile, the issues presented by pollution and climate change have required to companies a change in their models of business towards a more environmental and social purpose: the growing number of studies on Sustainable Business Model are a consequence of a new responsibility beyond the economic growth that companies have to face. The environmental emergency also contributed to shift the attention on new forms of energy solutions. Nevertheless, the novelty of the subject makes it difficult to find enough evidence to structure a Sustainable Business Model for renewable energy technologies and, in addition, the research restricts even more if companies need to understand the most feasible ways to bring these technologies to emerging markets in developing countries. With the purpose of clarifying the confusion around this topic, this Master Thesis aims to balance the gaps in the literature of Business Models for Renewable Energy with the informations collected in a case study, focused on how to bring to Rwanda a Hybrid Solar Technology produced by Autonome Infrastructure AB. Therefore, this Thesis compares the Literature Review with the informations from the company and those on the socio-political context of the country, with the intention to find the combination of data that best fit the Sustainable Business Model for Autonomous Infrastructure.