SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION 11

Background

The Western world continues to face economic uncertainty whilst a number of Asian and other economies are growing significantly. There is a sense of the shifting of the global socio-economic power base from the West to the East. However, climate change, energy security, water scarcity, food crises and materials shortages continue to pose challenges that companies will need to recognise and adapt to, if they are to survive and prosper in the future. At present opportunities to cut costs are top of the agenda, however opportunities for technological and product/service innovation still exist. The question is how do we shape those opportunities to support the development and commercialisation of more sustainable solutions. We now need to design and implement new systems to bring low carbon, resource efficient technologies, products and services to the mainstream market. It is essential that better networks are established that link-up role players in the ‘sustainable innovation system’ to move ideas more swiftly from the lab through R&D to customers. New sustainable business models need to be created and switched-on but there will be trade-offs that will need to be recognised. For example, the growing internet economy is providing considerable opportunities for more dematerialised and low carbon solutions but is using significant amounts of energy and materials behind the screen and keyboard – therefore, the relative environmental and social pluses and minuses of e-commerce still need to be better understood.

There is a strong feeling that the discussion has now moved from ‘why to do’ sustainable innovation to ‘how to’ make it happen both at a policy and company level. Sustainable Innovation 11 will address this paradigm shift with ‘state of the art’ visions, thinking, research and solutions.

Concept

Sustainable Innovation 2011 will provide a platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to sustainable innovation, technology, product and service design and development. Sustainable Innovation 11 will include invited and refereed papers from academics, consultants, entrepreneurs, investors, technology providers, designers, sustainability, environment and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers as well as other business functions. The event will be a unique learning experience, networking space and opportunity for blue-sky ‘out of the office’ thinking. Delegates will come globally from large companies, entrepreneurs, as well as academia, government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The conference is supported by an international Advisory Board.

Conference Topics

Sustainable Innovation 2011 welcomes conceptual and research-based papers related to the ‘state of the art’ in sustainable innovation, technology, product and service design and development. Papers focused on sustainable innovation related to the following topics are welcomed:

• Radical change
• Collaborations and partnerships
• Market transformation
• Supply chain management
• Sustainable Consumption & Production
• Innovation processes
• Low carbon economy
• Design Strategies
• Product policy
• New business models
• ‘Open’ innovation
• Tools & Methodologies
• Organisational dimensions
• Biomimicry
• Management systems
• Case studies

Benefits

Sustainable Innovation 2011 will provide a range of benefits to speakers and delegates:

Unique:

forum for new ideas and concepts

Leading-edge:

presentations from leading researchers, practitioners and policy-makers

Content:

new research, results and thinking

Networking:

opportunities to meet business, government and academia

Track-record:

over 1700 delegates from over 50 countries have attended previous conferences in the series

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

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