Abstract
Eco-innovation is currently a fuzzy concept in need of theoretical clarification. It is difficult to define because of the complexity of the subject. Nevertheless, eco-innovation can be described as innovation that consists of new or modified products, processes, practices, systems and business methods which aims to prevent or reduce environmental risks and can contribute to environmental sustainability. In this sense, the term eco-innovation has called attention to the positive contribution that industry can make to sustainable development and a competitive economy. Hence, eco-innovation is understood as the combined improvement of economic and environmental performance of society. If eco-innovation is considered a dynamic of our society, economic growth, social development and environmental integrity are essential ingredients of sustainability. Performance is the result of complex socio-economic process and has different dimensions (environmental and economic) and levels (micro and macro). A systematic analysis of eco-innovation dynamic should consider – at micro level – social processes between knowledge, institutions and firms and look for causal links among them. At the macro level, it is necessary to understand environmental, economic and social dimensions in which eco-innovation strategies may develop. The new economy is not only a knowledge economy but also an economy based on responsible behaviour. In the knowledge-based development (KBD), the key to growth and prosperity relies on the issues of acquiring, creating, developing, storing and applying knowledge for a sustainable economic, social and environmental development. A knowledge-based perspective may provide a holistic approach on wealth creation where eco-innovation is seen as a concept which provides direction and vision for pursuing the overall societal changes needed to achieve sustainable development. This chapter aims to explore the foundations of KBD and propose a framework to integrate the two key issues, eco-innovation and KBD.
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Notes
- 1.
India’s Aravind Eye Hospital deals with blindness in general and the elimination of needless blindness in particular in rural India. They use Internet kiosks in remote locations in Madurai to screen people’s eyes under the supervision of a paramedic. The information is sent by the Internet to a clinic of diagnosis. The Aravind eye-care system treats 1.4 million patients a year, and since its inception, it has performed over 2 million operations.
- 2.
The Malaria Research and Training Centre in Bamako, Mali, created in 1992, is internationally recognised for its contributions to research on malaria and the improvement of public health standards. It works with traditional doctors to create a source of immediate care in the Bandiagara region and has helped to reduce the mortality rates of young children significantly.
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We gratefully acknowledge the support given by UNIDEMI, R&D Unit in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FCT), New University of Lisbon, Portugal.
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Cabrita, M.d.R., Cruz-Machado, V., Matos, F. (2014). How to Make Eco-innovation a Competitive Strategy: A Perspective on the Knowledge-Based Development. In: Azevedo, S., Brandenburg, M., Carvalho, H., Cruz-Machado, V. (eds) Eco-Innovation and the Development of Business Models. Greening of Industry Networks Studies, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05077-5_3
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