Eco-Innovation and the Development of Business Models

Environmental challenges such as pollution, climate change, water and natural resources depletion and dwindling bio-diversity are true threats to the survival of our civilization, forcing us to learn how to act now. Fortunately this is exactly what this book does: presenting real life cases, along with theory, methodologies and tools demonstrating how eco-innovation can support sustainable economic growth and save our planet for future generations.

Following an introduction describing developments and directions of eco-innovation, Section One discusses Models and Frameworks Supporting Eco-Innovation, with chapters on search strategy for radical eco-innovation; and systematic eco-innovation with TRIZ Methodology. Section Two offers surveys and case studies showing eco-innovation in practice, including a sketch of the eco-innovative landscape in the Brazilian Cellulose, Paper and Paper Products Industry; efforts to eco-innovate among large Swedish companies; progress towards joint product-service business models and more. The third section surveys future directions and emerging trends, among them a new methodology for eco-friendly construction; the development of lightweight small inter-island ferries in Scandinavia and BioTRIZ: a win-win methodology for eco-innovation.

The book explores eco-innovation as a framework for supporting the development of new business models which consider the entire business ecosystem, on the way to a sustainable world. Moreover, it explores the eco-innovation process in cross-national and cross-sector perspective.

Developments and directions of eco-innovation.- Part I Models and frameworks supporting eco-innovation.- Managing cross-industry innovations: a search strategy for radical eco-innovations.- How to make eco-innovation a competitive strategy: a perspective on the knowledge-based development.- A framework for developing, evaluating and assessing eco-innovations.- Radical and Systematic Eco-Innovation with TRIZ Methodology.- Part II Application: surveys and case studies on eco-innovation deployment.- Eco-Innovation on Manufacturing Industry: The role of sustainability on innovation processes.- Portraying the Eco-Innovative Landscape in Brazil: determinants, processes and results.- Contextual Factors as Drivers of Eco-innovation Strategies: The Definition of an Organizational Taxonomy in the Brazilian Cellulose, Paper and Paper Products Industry.- Conceptualising industry efforts to eco-innovate among large Swedish companies.- Integrated environmental management tools for product and organizations in clusters.- Towards joint product-service business models: The case of Your Energy Solution.- Business model innovation for eco-innovation: developing a boundary-spanning business model of an ecosystem integrator.- Part III future directions: eco-innovation initiatives.- A new methodology for eco-friendly construction: utilizing quality function deployment to meet LEED requirements.- Light weight small island ferries in Scandinavia – a case of radical eco-innovation.- BioTRIZ: a win-win methodology for eco-innovation.