Floating Island International (Company Overview‪)‬

CASE DESCRIPTION This case is about a small entrepreneurial firm, Floating Island International (FII), that used principles of biomimicry to develop a new product and, potentially, a new industry. The founder, Bruce Kania, invented BioHavens, which are literally floating islands and can be used to help clean water and create riparian habitat. The primary issue in this case is how to develop an appropriate 'blue ocean' strategy to establish this new technology as a vehicle for wastewater treatment and water remediation. Secondary issues include challenges of proving the technology across a variety of applications; being a small entrepreneur; developing appropriate marketing channels; protecting intellectual property; and reaching a global market. This case is intended for undergraduates and MBA students in strategy, entrepreneurship and international business courses, and courses with a focus on environmental sustainability. This case is designed to be taught in three class hours, and students would benefit by an additional six hours of outside preparation.