Jag asks a great question regarding Innovation and Sustainability.

“Innovation is not easy, but it starts in the mind!” I completely agree with this phrase. In here we can see two kinds of innovations or crossing the roadmaps whatever you call. One, innovating the process and two, the product itself. Thats really cool. These days so-called “Innovative companies come with the innovative product” still following the age old equation of business profitability and competition. Taking this into consideration My question is how can businesses innovate the process and the product at same time keeping in mind the “vision of sustainability” ?

One theme of sustainability is that it provides an opportunity for innovation.

Looking at Nintendo, it started with the vision. If the vision of the product can be, for example, developed from the Cradle to Cradle framework, then we already have a new vision in terms of process development.

It would mean new ways to create materials in the products, new ways of designing, reverse logistics to get the product back etc.

Infact, in the book Natural Capitalism, the authors suggest that this will effect the strategy and business model of the company. The best way forward could be a business model based on “services” where products are leased by the consumers rather than buying enabling a easier way to recover the products by the manufacturer.

Innovation in products can occur in many ways.

Source:Passchal

Look at Passchal. They make handbags from used truck and tractor inner-tubes. Now that’s innovation on a grand scale.

It connects with the idea of “waste equals food” from Cradle to Cradle. So using one principle from this framework, we are able to create a new kind of product which have environmental benefits, a new type of product catering a new green customer.

So there we are, Sustainability principles can guide innovation in creating new products, new processes, new strategies and in fact, a whole new business model.