Innovation and sustainability are crucial for business and social development. This study examines the Innovative and Sustainable Companies learning activity, which integrates service learning, design thinking, and challenge-based learning to enhance university education. The objective was to engage students in real-world sustainability challenges within campus restaurants, fostering critical thinking, environmental awareness, and problem-solving skills.

Introduction:
The initiative connects sustainable innovation with experiential learning by immersing students in practical sustainability issues. Using design thinking, students analyzed challenges, ideated solutions, and prototyped strategies to reduce environmental impact in the gastronomic sector.

Methodology:
An exploratory-descriptive and qualitative approach was used to assess students’ learning and perceptions. Data collection methods included:
- Observation: Documenting student engagement and group dynamics.
- Interviews: Gathering feedback from students and restaurant representatives.
- Document Analysis: Evaluating team deliverables.
- Survey: Measuring students’ learning experiences.

The challenge was structured to work in teams in the following steps:
1. Problem Analysis – Field visits, sustainability workshops, and issue identification.
2. Solution Design – Idea generation, prototyping, and iterative feedback.
3. Presentation & Validation – Pitching solutions to restaurant representatives and refining ideas.

Results:
Thematic coding identified key learning outcomes:
- Commitment & Effort: High engagement levels were reported.
- Skill Development: Students improved their sustainability and innovation competencies.
- Teaching Effectiveness: Instructors were positively evaluated.
- Creativity & Practical Application: Prototyping and teamwork enhanced learning.
- Business Awareness: Students gained insight into sustainability challenges.

Conclusions:
The Innovative and Sustainable Companies initiative demonstrated the effectiveness of combining service learning and design thinking to strengthen student competencies in innovation, sustainability, and teamwork. Key takeaways include:
- Enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving through real-world application.
- Greater environmental awareness and understanding of circular economy principles.
- Improved business engagement, exposing students to industry challenges.

Future implementations should integrate interdisciplinary collaboration and technological tools to assess impact. The study highlights the value of challenge-based learning in preparing students to tackle sustainability issues in business environments.

References:
[1] Alm, K., Beery, T. H., Eiblmeier, D., & Fahmy, T. (2022). Students learning sustainability–implicit, explicit or non-existent: a case study approach on students' key competencies addressing the SDGs in HEI program. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(8), 60-84. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-12-2020-0484
[2] Bocken, N. M., Short, S. W., Rana, P., & Evans, S. (2014). A literature and practice review to develop sustainable business model archetypes. Journal of Cleaner Production, 65, 42-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.11.039
[3] Brown, T. (2008). Design thinking. Harvard Business Review, 86(6), 84. Retrieved March 7, 2025, from https://designthinkingmeite.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/22337/2020/02/Tim-Brown-Design-Thinking.pdf

Keywords: Service learning, design thinking, motivation, learning.