Sustainable Innovation 04
Creating and developing sustainable and responsible new business models

Towards Sustainable
Product Design 9
9th International Conference
25-26 October 2004
Bush Hotel Conference Centre,
Farnham, Surrey, UK

 

Background
Companies face a plethora of questions related to their responsibilities in a No Logo, post ENRON, 'CNN' World. A diverse range of issues fly at companies at the 'speed of light' and getting it wrong can affect corporate and brand reputation - which may ultimately affect share price. Many of these issues are not 'black or white' e.g. child labour and solutions are complex. Determining the extent of a firm's responsibilities to its internal and external stakeholders in the economies and communities that they operate in - locally, nationally and internationally - is becoming a key issue. Globalisation means that business models for many products and services are changing significantly with manufacturing and operations moving to South and South-East Asia. Customers, designers and marketeers, are increasingly geographically separated from producers and this is creating a new set of supply chain challenges for companies that want to act responsibly. A range of leading companies are now starting to explore new business models in an attempt to open-up markets for the 4.6 billion people (75% of population) that consume only 25% of the earth's resources.

Global sustainable and responsible innovation will require the creation of more sustainable and responsible markets - and to achieve this will require multi-stakeholder actions, with a policy-orientation focused on earlier stages of the product or service lifecycle. However, in many markets this is getting more difficult as there is an increasing blurring of the edges of product and services e.g. many products include services, and services included products. The challenge is how to enable and accelerate more sustainable and responsible consumption patterns amongst domestic consumers (B2C), business-to-business (B2B) buyers and government purchasers (B2G). Change will require a more coordinated implementation of demand and supply-side policy toolbox. At present, sustainable markets are small niches for consumer products. However there is need to broaden the discussion from a narrow B2C viewpoint to the much larger B2B and B2G markets. Environmental and social considerations need to be integrated into all markets and this will create new opportunities for sustainable and responsible entrepreneurs.

Creativity and innovation, coupled with a significant reduction in resource and energy consumption will generate a range of opportunities. Thinking in terms of resource productivity and 'closing the loop' rather waste will become the clarion call. The implementation of producer responsibility laws in Europe and Japan may act as a stimulus to accelerate the implementation of new business models and may further open up opportunities for remanufacturing, reconditioning and reuse to extend product life.

 

   

Organised by:
The Centre for Sustainable Design
Sponsored by:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
South East England Development Agency. (SEEDA)
The Government Office for the South East (GOSE)
Hampshire Natural Resources Initiative
(HNRI)
Supported by:
United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP)

Sustainable Trade & Innovation Centre (STIC)
Buckinghamshire & Berkshire Sustainable Business Partnership
Oxfordshire's Sustainable Business Partnership (OxSBP)
Surrey Economic Partnership (SEP)

West Sussex Sustainable Business Partnership




 

Concept
What is a sustainable and responsible new business model? Sustainable Innovation 04 has been designed as a way through the labyrinth of issues related to sustainability, Corporate Responsibility (CR) and new business models. Sustainable Innovation 04 will aim to explore new approaches to sustainable product, service and PSS development by providing a platform for discussion over best practice and new ideas. The event will analyse the problems, barriers and obstacles to new sustainable and responsible business models and will highlight opportunities. A unique feature will be The Living Laboratory that will showcase sustainable business, product, service and PSS concepts. Sustainable Innovation 04 will be about new thinking, different perspectives and will be a key learning experience.

Sustainable Innovation 04 will include invited and refereed papers covering new models for sustainable business, product, service and PSS development from designers, inventors, academics and managers. A core element of the event will be a number of interactive creative processes on day 1 and 2 designed to enable delegates to think, (re)think and create new sustainable and responsible business models. Delegates will come from creative industries, innovation, venture capital, academia, government and NGOs, as well as large companies, entrepreneurs and SMEs. The learning objectives of the event will be to raise awareness and understanding of the opportunities for and barriers to sustainable business innovation by providing best practice and new ideas. The conference is supported by an leading-edge international Advisory Board.

 

Conference topics
Sustainable Innovation 04 welcomes conceptual and research-based papers covering sustainable and responsible business innovation in the context of a range of issues:

  • Market development
  • Technology development
  • New business models
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Stimulating innovation
  • Products and service development
  • Product Service Systems (PSS)
  • Marketing and communications
  • Business development
  • Co-development
  • Network management

 

Contributor Guidelines
Below are guidelines for authors invited to submit full papers:

Contributor Guidelines downloadable word doc
Contributor Guidelines - Paper example downloadable word doc


 

Living Laboratory
Sustainable Innovation 04 welcomes blue-sky, thought-provoking, radical concepts and ideas with an emphasis on new business models rather than solutions focused on 'business as usual'.

  • Products
  • Services
  • Product-service-systems (PSS)

Living Laboratory Concept Form

Please email, fax or post 2 pages that a) visualise, b) describe your proposed sustainable business, product, service or PSS concept and c) outline the financial, social and environmental impacts (both positive and negative) of your idea. Proposals will then be sent to the Advisory Board for evaluation.

 

Conference Fees
Below is the information on conference fees and exhibtion space.

  • Business/Consultants/Govt.
    • Day 1 - £200 or Day 2 - £200
    • Both Days - £400

  • Academic/NGOs
    • Day 1 - £150 or Day 2 - £150
    • Both Days - £300

  • Speakers: 'refereed papers'
    • Day 1 - £125 or Day 2 - £125
    • Both Days - £250

  • Exhibition Space - £500

 

Venue
The Sustainable Innovation 04 conference will be held at the Bush Hotel Conference Centre, The Borough, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7NN UK

 

Map of Venue

To get to Bush Hotel Conference Centre.

By Car
Because of the complicated one-way system, the easiest route is from the west, on the A325. You reach the A325 via a roundabout on the A31 Farnham bypass. Follow the signs to the Town Centre and you will join the one way system. At the centre of the town there is a crossroads and traffic lights where you turn left into South Street, then get immediately on the right hand side. The Bush Hotel is on the right, and Sainsbury is on the left. There is car parking at the back of the hotel.

By Train
Trains leave London Waterloo for Farnham (via Woking) approximately every half hour. The journey takes between 45 minutes and an hour. It is a 5 minute walk from Farnham station to the Bush Hotel.

Walk down Station Hill, cross the A31, and continue along South Street. The Bush Hotel is on the left

Taxis
Taxis are usually available at Farnham station. If not, you can contact Farnham Station Taxis on (01252) 712 843 or Cavalier Taxis on (01252) 711 483.

 

For more information on Sustainable Innovation 04 please contact:
Professor Martin Charter Director
The Centre for Sustainable Design
The Surrey Institute of Art & Design,
University College
Tel: + 44 (0) 1252 892772
Fax: + 44 (0) 1252 892747
Email: mcharter@surrart.ac.uk
Website: www.cfsd.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

TSPD9 is organised by:

 

Sponsored by:

 

 



Supported by:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Last updated: 12th August2004