Over the past three decades, the circular economy has emerged as a critical alternative to the traditional “take–make–dispose” model. However, despite its increasing relevance, its implementation in real-world business practices remains limited. BESTS addresses this gap by equipping students with both the conceptual understanding and practical skills required to transform sustainability challenges into viable, impact-driven business solutions.

Through a problem-based and project-based learning framework, students collaborate in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural teams to identify real-world challenges—particularly within urban and circular city contexts. They then develop entrepreneurial solutions that integrate sustainable materials, resource efficiency, waste valorization, and ethical considerations.

The program culminates in the development of a functional business prototype—either a product or a service—supported by a business model that clearly demonstrates its contribution to specific SDGs and its role in advancing a circular economy. By bridging theory and practice, BESTS aims to cultivate future leaders capable of designing scalable, sustainable, and socially impactful ventures.

The BESTS Program aims to enable students to:

1. Transform SDG challenges into viable business opportunities 

2. Apply circular economy principles in product and business design 

3. Develop and validate sustainable business prototypes 

4. Integrate engineering, business, and sustainability perspectives 

5. Evaluate ethical and societal impacts of proposed solutions 

6. Collaborate effectively in cross-cultural, interdisciplinary teams 

7. Communicate impact-driven and scalable solutions