Leading change and sustainability in SMEs

Aim of the course:

This course aims to strengthen the capacity of habitat sector-related Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to lead change and embed sustainability including – but not limited to- construction, renovation, building materials, housing services and urban infrastructure, to adapt to climate change, while maintaining and enhancing their technical, economic and social viability. By using the habitat sector as a concrete application field, the course addresses how SMEs can respond to structural change drivers, such as climate change, evolving building standards, and shifting societal expectations, while maintaining economic viability and organisational resilience. Rather than treating sustainability as a technical or environmental objective, the course positions it as a strategic and managerial challenge, requiring adaptive leadership, informed decision-making, and incremental transformation over time. Climate-related pressures on buildings and housing are used as a real-world context through which SMEs develop transferable skills in managing change, uncertainty, and long-term sustainability.

Main ideas:

1. SMEs operate in environments shaped by long-term systemic change.
2. Sustainability is a leadership and strategic challenge, not only a technical one.
3. External pressures (e.g. climate, regulation, markets) require adaptive responses.
4. Effective change depends on alignment with governance and planning frameworks.
5. Sustainable transformation in SMEs is incremental and continuous.