Eco-innovation typology for incubators
| Pages | 291-308 |
| Date | 10 September 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-10-2017-0071 |
| Published date | 10 September 2018 |
| Author | Andriele De Prá Carvalho,Paula Regina Zarelli,Bruna Madey Dalarosa |
| Subject Matter | Strategy,Business ethics,Sustainability |
Eco-innovation typology
for incubators
Andriele De Prá Carvalho
Campus Francisco Beltrão, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná,
Apucarana, Brazil and
Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Apucarana, Brazil
Paula Regina Zarelli
Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná,
Curitiba, Brazil, and
Bruna Madey Dalarosa
Campus Francisco Beltrão, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná,
Apucarana, Brazil
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to understand a typology of eco-innovationthat best characterizes an
innovation incubator, with the aim of strengthening the management of this habitat to leverage the
development of new eco-innovation technologies.
Design/methodology/approach –The typologies of 22 studies identified in the Web of Science, Scopus,
Scielo and Science Direct databases were analyzed through a theoretical and descriptive study and method of
systematic literature review. In the typologies analyzed, none were found that fit directly into the environment
of an innovation incubator.
Findings –The most detailed typology, by Fernando et al. (2015), is characterized as a type of eco-innovation
developed in a specific market, but it does not address the characteristics of this innovation habitat, which is
the incubator.
Practical implications –Thus, basedon the typologies presented, thispaper demonstrates the construction
of an instrument that contemplates the authors analyzed, with emphasis on its application in incubators.
Originality/value –This paper demonstrates the construction of an instrument that contemplates the
authors analyzed, with emphasis on the application in incubators.
Keywords Innovation, Incubator, Eco-innovation
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Eco-innovation is analyzed as a new paradigm because it encompasses the growing
importance of combining innovation and technologies developed with environmental
protection. Incorporating this concept into new products, processes or services is a way of
contributing to the promise that the demand for economic growth can be reconciled with
sustainability (Weber and Hemmelskamp, 2005).
In this sense, environmental sustainability has a wide debate in the academic space,
justified by the preservation of the environment in the face of accelerated development and
the emergence of constant profits that raise levels of pollution and lead to scarcity of
material and natural resources. Thus, the concept of sustainability grew along with the
concept of development and innovation, allied to the Schumpeterian evolutionary
perspective ( Johnson et al., 2003).
In this sense, linking innovation with environmental sustainability, as in the so-called
eco-innovation, a concept addressed in Carrillo-Hermosilla et al. (2009) studies contributes
to understanding the relationship between society, economy and the environment. With
eco-innovation, continuous growth reconciles environmental protection with the innovative
environment. Eco-innovations influence the external environment of individuals and their
way of rethinking the world.
World Journal of
Entrepreneurship, Management
and Sustainable Development
Vol. 14 No. 3, 2018
pp. 291-308
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2042-5961
DOI10.1108/WJEMSD-10-2017-0071
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5961.htm
291
Eco-innovation
typology for
incubators
In this sense, the environment in which the organizations are inserted interferes in the
development of eco-innovations. In this perspective, the context of the incubators of
technological innovations stood out for the accomplishment of this study by allying and for
housing companies and niches that prioritize the development of innovations. In the
incubators of innovations different interactions can be perceived that can be directed to
the efforts of eco-innovation to understand the dynamics that contribute to sustainability.
A dynamic and innovative environment is fundamental, as they are not only disseminators
and propagators of innovation and scientific research, but also structuresconducive to generating
technological niches by allying the development of eco-innovations, by the interaction of actors
and the dynamics capable of helping the understanding of the transition to sustainability.
Thus, this study focused on the aims of understanding a typology of eco-innovation that best
characterizes an innovation incubator, with the purpose of strengthening the management of this
habitat to leverage the development of new eco-innovation technologies.
2. Eco-innovation
Innovation can be defined according to Schumpeter’s (1982) concept that any introduction of
a new process or method can be characterized as eco-innovation. In this same line,
Burgelman et al. (2001) detailed that the invention or discovery represents the origin of
technological innovation processes, which are the results of creative activities with a high
degree of difficulty in their planning. Inventions and discoveries can be considered as
techniques, by the temporal difference between the scientific research that idealized them,
and the commercial success in the use of innovation.
The Oslo Manual (Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico, 2005)
determines thetypes of innovations such as: product innovations involve significant changes
in the potential of products and services; brand new goods and services and major
enhancements to existingproducts; and processinnovations thatrepresent significant changes
in production and distribution methods. In addition, innovation has been identified in the
literatureas: incrementalinnovation, which involves adaptation, refinement and intensification
of existing products and services; radical innovation, involving totally new products and
services; and structural innovation, which refers to reconfigurations of component systems
that make up the products (Burgelman et al., 2001).
However, innovation has become a relevant subject also to the concept of sustainability,
since it is defined based on the optimization of the use of natural resources, which translates
into low damage to the systems; consumption of resources to a limited extent; and waste
reduction and detailed environmental protection rules (Sachs, 1993).
Sustainability with varied connotations is the theme of Barbieri (2007). The traditional
sense is treated by the business context. The context of the environment is added by
replacing polluting, unhealthy, hazardous processes with cleaner processes and using less
natural resources in organizations.
In this way, the concepts of technology and environmental protection are aligned and the
theme of eco-innovation is reached, which appears as a possibility to combine innovation
and environmental sustainability (Dolata, 2013), since it prioritizes the optimization of
natural resources, the reduction of environmental damage and pollution, the use of clean
technologies and environmental protection as a whole.
For eco-innovation, sustainability is integrated with innovations, that is, innovative
technologies offer the promise that the demand to continue economic growth can be
reconciled with environmental, economic and social protection. It shows that the search for
modernization proposals linked to sustainable growth (Weber and Hemmelskamp, 2005).
Reid and Miedzinski (2008) detailed eco-innovation as a basis for being allied to
all kinds of innovations. However, these innovations need to contain factors that are
integrated into the environmental issue, which is focused on issues such as recycling
292
WJEMSD
14,3
To continue reading
Request your trial