Sustainability as a driver for innovation is at the moment a popular research topic. The main reason is, because there is evidence that sustainability strategies go hand in hand with the production of new knowledge and capabilities driving innovation. Further research shows that innovation positively influcences corporate sustainability strategies.

In the next April 2015 edition of the Journal of Business Research, the article “Exploring the interoperability of innovation capability and corporate sustainability” shows that strategic corporate social responsibility is a key element in the postive interaction between innovation and sustainability.

In the Journal of Cleaner Production there is an article in press by Gaziulusoy (2015), where it shows that innovation for sustainability has much greater impact when it is driven by a deliberate and voluntary strategy of the company.  Innovation strategies developed with the sole aim of addressing legislative and regulatory requirements will only be successful in the short-term and only from a risk reduction and financial perspective.

Is sustainability driving innovation in your organization? In the poll below, I would like to research what you as a reader of Strategy Blogs think is the current state of sustainabilty driving innovation in your organization (business, government, NGO, education, association or school).

Norbert Bol

Literature

Gaziulusoy, A. I. (2015). A critical review of approaches available for design and innovation teams through the perspective of sustainability science and system innovation theories. Journal of Cleaner Production. (In Press, corrected proof version) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652615000165

Lai, W. H., Lin, C. C., & Wang, T. C. (2015). Exploring the interoperability of innovation capability and corporate sustainability. Journal of Business Research, 68(4), 867-871.

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