The global climate crisis is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Tackling climate change requires a fundamental transformation of our energy systems—from fossil fuels to sustainable, renewable energy sources. The energy transition is not only a technical endeavor but also a profound economic and societal shift. In this transformation, businesses play a critical role.

VERBUND is Austria’s leading energy company and one of the largest producers of electricity from hydropower in Europe. The Group generates around 95% of its electricity from renewable energy, primarily from hydropower. VERBUND is the key player for the success of the energy transition in Austria. The challenges that have to be met call for a need to look beyond the borders of Austria to find solutions.

In this Business Project, we will work alongside VERBUND’s e-mobility team. This semester’s focus will be on charging infrastructure and facilities.  Students will be split into diverse teams and work on different topics such as international market analyses, competitor analyses, or business strategies.

At the end of the course students will

• know and understand the challenges related to the energy transition and e-mobility
• be familiar and able to critically assess the current developments in the field
• have the skills to find solutions to real-life issues

In addition, students will

• work in diverse team-settings
• be able to explain and present complex topics to an audience in an understandable way
• give constructive feedback on others' presentations
• think outside the box to come up with innovative analyses, ideas, and solutions

As this is an interactive class regular attendance is mandatory. In-class discussions play a vital role in the course design, and they can only be fruitful if everyone attends and contributes on a regular basis.

You may miss one session, but be aware that this will affect your class participation and, as a result, may affect your final grade. If you miss more than one session, you will be deregistered from the course. 

This is a project-based course. Students will work on real-life business challenges Verbund’s e-mobility team currently faces. Throughout the course solutions to these challenges will be developed and presented.

The final grade of the students participating in the course will be based on the following:

• class participation: 20% (individual)
• interim presentation: 20% (team)
• final presentation and report: 40% (team)
• peer rating: 10% (individual)
• course reflection: 10% (individual)

Final grading:

       ≥ 90%...1

       ≥ 80%...2

       ≥ 70%...3

       ≥ 60%...4

       < 60%...5

SBWL students must have successfully completed course I (Foundations of IB) and II (IB Applications) of the specialization.

The course is open to all exchange students with an interest in the topic.

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