Page 37 - Hojnik, Jana. 2017. In Persuit of Eco-innovation. Drivers and Consequences of Eco-innovation at Firm Level. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 37
Eco-innovation 37
research and data collection encompassing eco-innovation should not be
oriented to only environmentally motivated innovation; rather, research-
ers should overcome this limitation in the sense of comprising products,
processes and/or organizational innovations with environmental ben-
efits. In addition, Arundel and Kemp (2009) pointed out the fact that
the attention should be broadened in order to include innovation orient-
ed towards the following characteristics: resource use, energy efficiency,
greenhouse gas reduction, waste minimization, reuse and recycling, new
materials (e.g., nanotechnology) and eco-design.
In the following pages, we first describe the concept of eco-innova-
tion provided by OECD (2007 in OECD 2009). This concept comprises
three dimensions, which are targets, mechanisms and impacts (see Figure
3). Moreover, we briefly summarize the dimensions as they did in OECD
(2009, referring to the Oslo manual, OECD 2007), followed by dimen-
sions of eco-innovation features proposed by Dong et al. (2013) and by a
description of the main types of eco-innovation in more detail.
Target
Target refers to the basic focus of eco-innovation. Following the Oslo
manual in OECD (2009), the target of eco-innovation can be: products
(goods and services), processes (production method or procedure), mar-
keting methods (promotion and pricing of products and other market-ori-
ented strategies), organizations (in the sense of structure of management
and responsibility distribution) and finally institutions (including broad-
er societal area beyond a single organization’s control – such as institu-
tional arrangements, social norms and cultural values). The target’s na-
ture can be technological or non-technological. As we can also see from
the scheme below (see Figure 3), eco-innovation products and processes
tend to rely mainly on technological development, while eco-innovations
in marketing, organizations and institutions rely more on non-techno-
logical changes (OECD 2007 in OECD 2009). In addition, researchers
(Rennings 2000; Reid and Miedzinski 2008) suggest that eco-innovation
includes innovation in social and institutional structures and therefore
should not be limited to innovation in products, processes, marketing
methods and organizational methods.
Mechanisms
The second dimension of eco-innovation is that of mechanisms. Adapt-
ed by Stevels (1997; Charter and Clark 2007), four main levels of eco-in-
research and data collection encompassing eco-innovation should not be
oriented to only environmentally motivated innovation; rather, research-
ers should overcome this limitation in the sense of comprising products,
processes and/or organizational innovations with environmental ben-
efits. In addition, Arundel and Kemp (2009) pointed out the fact that
the attention should be broadened in order to include innovation orient-
ed towards the following characteristics: resource use, energy efficiency,
greenhouse gas reduction, waste minimization, reuse and recycling, new
materials (e.g., nanotechnology) and eco-design.
In the following pages, we first describe the concept of eco-innova-
tion provided by OECD (2007 in OECD 2009). This concept comprises
three dimensions, which are targets, mechanisms and impacts (see Figure
3). Moreover, we briefly summarize the dimensions as they did in OECD
(2009, referring to the Oslo manual, OECD 2007), followed by dimen-
sions of eco-innovation features proposed by Dong et al. (2013) and by a
description of the main types of eco-innovation in more detail.
Target
Target refers to the basic focus of eco-innovation. Following the Oslo
manual in OECD (2009), the target of eco-innovation can be: products
(goods and services), processes (production method or procedure), mar-
keting methods (promotion and pricing of products and other market-ori-
ented strategies), organizations (in the sense of structure of management
and responsibility distribution) and finally institutions (including broad-
er societal area beyond a single organization’s control – such as institu-
tional arrangements, social norms and cultural values). The target’s na-
ture can be technological or non-technological. As we can also see from
the scheme below (see Figure 3), eco-innovation products and processes
tend to rely mainly on technological development, while eco-innovations
in marketing, organizations and institutions rely more on non-techno-
logical changes (OECD 2007 in OECD 2009). In addition, researchers
(Rennings 2000; Reid and Miedzinski 2008) suggest that eco-innovation
includes innovation in social and institutional structures and therefore
should not be limited to innovation in products, processes, marketing
methods and organizational methods.
Mechanisms
The second dimension of eco-innovation is that of mechanisms. Adapt-
ed by Stevels (1997; Charter and Clark 2007), four main levels of eco-in-
