Title: Innovations for sustainability: challenges of utilising sustainability-related knowledge

Authors: Nina Tura; Ville Ojanen; Jyri Hanski

Addresses: School of Business and Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, 53851 Lappeenranta, Finland ' School of Business and Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, 53851 Lappeenranta, Finland ' VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., P.O. Box 1300, 33101 Tampere, Finland

Abstract: The demands for more sustainable development are increasing, and solving complex sustainability challenges is acknowledged to require innovations that take environmental, social and economic perspectives into consideration. The development of innovations for sustainability requires the utilisation of sustainability knowledge, i.e., creating market value by combining pieces of environmental, organisational and social information. In this study, we address the reasons why sustainability knowledge is not exploited more broadly and set focus on the challenges in the utilisation of sustainability knowledge. The empirical data for the study was collected in an interdisciplinary expert workshop and by conducting semi-structural interviews in four Finnish companies. The study reveals challenges in the utilisation of sustainability knowledge at all stages of knowledge management. We also analyse the potential of digitalisation in enhancing innovations for sustainability and lowering the challenges in the utilisation of sustainability knowledge.

Keywords: innovation; sustainability; sustainable development; SOI; sustainability-oriented innovation; sustainability knowledge; knowledge utilisation; knowledge process; KM; knowledge management; managerial challenges; digitalisation effects.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2019.100371

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2019 Vol.13 No.3/4, pp.452 - 478

Received: 06 Jan 2017
Accepted: 08 Oct 2017
Published online: 28 Jun 2019 *

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