SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION 2012

Resource Efficiency, Innovation and Lifestyles

Part of the ‘Towards Sustainable Product Design’ series of conferences

17th International Conference
29th-30th October 2012
Alanus University
Bonn
Germany

Background

Rio +20 in June 2012 will focus on the ‘green economy’ with resource consumption, innovation and behavioural change being central to discussions. Resource productivity and efficiency in production and consumption are moving up the global agenda as increasing raw material costs and emerging concern associated with security of supply of critical metals essential for the production of eco-innovative technologies has increased. Discussions in Europe have shifted towards the practicalities of transitioning to low carbon and resource efficient economies and societies. Materials and water alongside energy and food are now being positioned at the heart of the resource productivity debate. The need to radically change consumption patterns has gained increased visibility and enabling higher levels of demand and supply side innovation will be the linchpin in moving forward. The ‘Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe’ published by the European Commission in September 2011 consistently highlighted the need for accelerated innovation in materials, products, services and technologies as key to enabling smart, sustainable growth. Developing an improved framework to accelerate the flow of good ideas for products, services and technologies through R&D to the market is essential to enable resource efficient, low carbon innovation. New business models will be required that catalyse innovation across and beyond the life cycle. Developing systems to ensure ‘closed (materials) loops’ are receiving increasing attention and various approaches are being developed e.g. ‘cradle to cradle’, Product Service Systems (PSS), re-use and sharing models. ‘Designing out’ waste and designing for ‘closed loops’ will be of growing importance as waste gets more expensive and resources get scarcer. Therefore developing products, services and technologies to enable recycling, remanufacturing, reconditioning, product extension and dematerialisation will become an essential element of innovation.

Concept

Sustainable Innovation 12 will provide a platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to resource productivity, innovation and lifestyles related to products, services, technologies, infrastructures and business models. Sustainable Innovation 12 will include invited and refereed papers from academics, consultants, entrepreneurs, investors, technology providers, designers, innovation, sustainability managers as well as other business functions. The event will create a unique space for learning, networking and thinking. Delegates will come globally from large companies, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as academia, government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The conference is supported by an international Advisory Board.

Conference Topics

Sustainable Innovation 12 welcomes conceptual and research-based papers focused on sustainable innovation related to resource productivity and lifestyles. Papers should cover sustainability, product, service and technology design, development and commercialisation issues related to the following topics:

Benefits

Sustainable Innovation 12 will provide a range of benefits to speakers and delegates:

Unique:
Forum for new thinking, ideas and concepts
Leading-edge:
Presentations from international researchers, practitioners and policy-makers
Content:
New research, results and thinking
Networking:
Opportunities to meet business, government and academia
Track-record:
Over 2000 delegates from over 50 countries have attended previous events

Submission details

Conference papers: please email, fax or post 500 words describing
your proposed paper by 30th April 2012 .  The paper will then be sent to
the Advisory Board for evaluation and authors will be given feedback by 30th June 2012.  The highest rated papers will be invited to present
at the conference.  Please only submit abstracts if you have budgets to
attend the conference
.  Email your abstract to Ros via rcarruthers.t1@ucreative.ac.uk

Contact

For more information on Sustainable Innovation 12 please contact:

Martin Charter
Director
The Centre for Sustainable Design
University for the Creative Arts
Farnham Campus
Farnham
Surrey
GU9 7DS
UK
Tel: + 44 (0) 1252 892772
Fax: + 44 (0) 1252 892747
Email: mcharter@ucreative.ac.uk

Organised by:

Strategic partner:

UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), Germany

Venue partner:

Alanus Univrsity Logo

Partners:

UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), Germany UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), Germany eco-innovation observatory logo world resources forum logo

Supporters:

CREATIVE.NRW logo