Keyport encourages sustainability in SMEs through student engagement

With the advent of the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), sustainability is increasingly higher on the agenda of SMEs. Within chain cooperation, it is often a challenge for SMEs to implement this due to lack of time, experience and expertise. Keyport, the implementing organization for government, education and entrepreneurs in Central Limburg and Cranendonck, is responding to this development by using students as drivers of sustainable transitions.

Unique opportunities

By linking students to companies, Keyport offers unique opportunities through internships and graduation assignments for entrepreneurs striving for a more sustainable business model. These collaborations with educational institutions such as Fontys and Zuyd Hogeschool not only promote knowledge transfer, but also help companies implement sustainable initiatives effectively.

An example is the story of Lisanne, a former Zuyd University student. She had the opportunity to explore the impact of CSRD during her internship with the Janshen-Hahnraths Group. "Initially I had little understanding of sustainability, but this experience opened my eyes to the breadth of the topic," she says.

Chretien, who works at Janshen-Hahnraths Group, set an internship assignment for Lisanne with the goal of mapping the impact of CSRD for his organization. "We knew that CSRD would become important for us. So we wanted to start early and we deliberately asked a student to do that. Hiring an external consultant seemed less logical because we wanted to explore what CSRD meant for us," Chretien explains. He says the choice of a student had several advantages. "A student thinks out-of-the-box, is creative and doesn't work with an hourly-bill mentality."

From intern to consultant

Lisanne's internship experience was a springboard for her to pursue a career as a sustainability consultant with KTBA, a consulting firm in corporate sustainability in the food sector. Kelly, who hired Lisanne at KTBA, explains why they chose her. "We wanted someone who could grasp the subject matter and work with us to set up this new service." Meanwhile, Lisanne helps companies take the first steps toward CSRD and works on corporate footprint calculations. "It's a broad field with new challenges every day. No day is the same," Lisanne said.

Collaboration is key

Keyport's initiatives demonstrate that collaboration between education, business and government is crucial to accelerating sustainability in business. Students bring fresh ideas and creative solutions, which enables them to effectively help companies address today's challenges. Through this joint effort, Keyport not only meets the need of SMEs for support, but also invests in developing the future of sustainable professionals.