Sustainable innovation and cradle-to-cradle Saskia van Stroe-Biezen Professor of Innovation Management in International Perspective

Rapid changes ask for innovation 4 Key Success Factors (KSFs): 1.Vision and strategy (lesson 5/6) 2.Sustainability (lesson 5) 3.Customer insight (lesson 7) 4.Team creativity and social networking (lesson 8)

Sustainability Customers and society ask for it and the world asks for it!

Product Market Organisation POM model Thinking model of Smart Group How to come to a vision?

Lifespan products decreases Personification of products Many products from Asia Substitution of metals by plastics Increase in usage of high-tech in products The world becomes smaller The market is increasing Less and less fossil fuels CO2 increases Climate change Acidification of our seas by CO2 Deforestation, mainly in the Third World Depletion of top soil Use of farmland for biomass cultivation Famine Wars and conflicts Political tensions The urgency of sustainable innovation! The urgency of sustainable innovation!

Cradle-to-Cradle sustainability from a new perspective

Introduction films: NL: Tegenlicht tv-programme: DE: Nie mehr Mull (till min) Discuss in small groups the things you liked about Cradle-to-Cradle and the things you think are unrealistic/idealistic Report back to the group Attention: select feb 2010

Cradle-to-Cradle sustainability from a new perspective

Eco-efficiency: Avoidance Minimalisation Reduction Guilt-management =less bad Cradle-to-Cradle: less bad is not good!

Eco-efficiency: Avoidance Minimalisation Reduction Guilt-management =less bad Eco-effectiveness: Opportunities Innovation New ways Abundance =good! Cradle-to-Cradle: less bad is not good!

How to do it in a good way? 4 golden rules for C2C

Golden rule 1: Our waste equals our food

Our waste equals our food: Food for the biosphere (compostable, give it back to nature) Food for the technosphere (recycle, don’t downcycle!) Design: Keep bio and techno separate Easy disassembly

Regenerate Take Make Take BIOLOGICAL cycle

TECHNICAL cycle Regenerate Take Make Take

Cherry tree in full blossom Eco-effectiveness: waste = food

Examples C2C book Herman Miller chair gDiapers: flushable diaper 96% recyclable 42% from recycled material  Made with green energy

Golden rule 2: The sun is our income

Buildings: Energy-neutral The sun is our income the sun delivers thousands of times more energy than we need on earth! technology opens a lot of possibilities Transportation: solar car

Golden rule 3: Our air, soil and water are healthy

Our air, soil and water are healthy: Don’t use “bad” raw materials For many toxic raw materials good and safe alternatives are available No “uncontrolled” burning of waste

Golden rule 4: Respect diversity

Respect diversity: Diversity in flora and fauna:  avoid monocultures Diversity between countries/cultures:  don’t grow crop on a non-suitable location  solutions for sustainability are locally determined  transport: how to enjoy e.g. Parma ham, exotic fruits Seasonal diversity:  eating strawberries in winter asks for a lot of transport

Holistically sustainable innovation

Ecology (Planet) Equity (People)Economy (Profit) Cradle-to-cradle: celebrate Ecology AND Economy AND Equity the 3 E’s But we need to add an E!

Holistic approach  We need ‘Embedment’ to make it structural! The sustainability tetrahedron: the 4 E’s Equity Embedment Ecology Economy

We have seen an urgency for sustainability and Cradle-to-cradle as a sustainability philosophy

Three possible perspectives: 1.Do nothing: the world down the drain 2.Delay: eco-efficiency 3.A beautiful world for generations to come: eco-effectiveness

Is there also an urgency for any randomly chosen sector?

ICT Is there also an urgency for any randomly chosen sector?

Urgency for ICT?

ICT Ecology (Planet) Equity (People)Economy (Profit) Waste to Third World countries Brain-drain Third World countries Way of collaboration (mail iso meeting) Impact of ICT on the three E’s Short product life cycle Toxic materials High material usage Waste to Third World countries Electricity usage Paper usage (x3 within 10 years) Increase of raw material costs

= 0,5 kg

How can we do it differently? Eco-efficient: Design for disassembly/design for modulation/upgrading/extension Default: duplex printing and 2 pages per A4 Etc… Eco-effectief: Use different materials Use solar energy Use washable paper Store released heat in the ground Heat wheel Etc…. Google covered 90% of its head quarter roof surface with solar panels

Apply what you’ve learnt to the company of your choice and determine key opportunities for this company