ZNU Partnership: Living true corporate sustainable leadership

The ZNU is more than just a university research centre. We create a programme for genuine entrepreneurial sustainability. This can be experienced in the ZNU partner network. The network of currently around 60 partner companies sees itself as a collaborative learning and development platform for entrepreneurs committed to sustainability and stands for exchange, inspiration and empowerment. The partners are united by the common idea of promoting and establishing future-orientated development.

This is how you benefit from the ZNU partnership:

Your network

Dialogue & network with ZNU standard certified companies. Experience the synergies between practice and science.

Company network with many opportunities for open dialogue
Networking at management level

Your knowledge

Transfer of knowledge and methodological skills on the topic of sustainability based on the latest application-orientated research results from the ZNU.

Learning and networking opportunities for your employees with cost benefits when using further training programmes
Exclusive, internal web area with practical examples and KPIs on all sustainability topics

Your success

Further development of the sustainability culture in the company through systematic implementation of ESG measures and access to best practice for your challenges.

Certification of the ZNU Standard - driving sustainable change
Credibility of your commitment
Enhanced reputation through university cooperation

With the ZNU at your side

The ZNU supports you in engaging in sustainability activities on a broad scale, whether through joint events and communication, media work, association and trade contacts. The ZNU also acts as a mouthpiece for common interests vis-à-vis politicians, banks and civil society.

Go to our partners

What our partners say:

Georg Hoffmann, Sustainability Manager Ritter Sport

Ruth Fislage, Head of Corporate Communications and PR at apetito

Get to know our network offers!

As part of our partner network, you benefit from exclusive formats for exchanging ideas and developing specific content. Discussion and topic-specific working groups with other partners and ZNU experts enable you to work on current process issues and transformation requirements.

Dialogue and networking

The ZNU's regular exchange takes place digitally every 14 days and is moderated by ZNU experts. The informal network meeting provides a framework for cross-industry dialogue between company managers on current and upcoming sustainability topics.

Exchange and Implementation

The ZNU working groups mainly take place digitally during the year and deal with changing topics, such as climate, biodiversity, product sustainability, EU regulations or communication. They focus on individual key sustainability challenges. Presentations, short impulses from the ZNU as well as guest lectures and sufficient space for discussion among the participants enable a topic-specific working meeting. They are designed to support companies in upcoming processes and acute transformation tasks.

Go to the dates

Networking on Common Ground

Once a year, a meeting is held at Witten/Herdecke University for all managing directors of ZNU partner companies. Every year, around 40 C-level managing directors take part and exchange views on various sustainability topics. In 2024, the focus was on certification as an opportunity. Protagonists from business, banks, politics, trade and NGOs met for intensive discussions and further networking.

Deep Dive on the 2024 ZNU Standard

The aim of the full-day face-to-face event is to familiarise you with the ZNU Standard - driving sustainable change so that you can read and apply it in the company both in the specialist department and as an internal auditor. To this end, you will learn about all requirements, mandatory documents and mandatory KPIs, as well as the assessment, planning and implementation of internal audits for the ZNU Standard. Examples of implementation and verification options will be discussed in the group.

More training programmes

Would you like to become part of the network?

To register for the partner network and for information about the partnership and exclusive offers, please get in touch.

Patricia Kief Dipl.-Kff.: Head of Communication & Partner Network; Patricia.Kief@uni-wh.de

Shape the future of your company sustainably!

Training programmes

Partners receive cost benefits for training programmes and events.

Dates

For exchange with entrepreneurs and stakeholders from business and science and the opportunity to discuss and work on your specific challenges.