Transformative innovation for
the global good
Fred Steward, Brunel University, UK
STEPS Manifesto seminar, 30 October
2008

The greatest challenge of our time
 Environmental sustainability – a public good
 Existing pattern of innovation is unsustainable
 A core issue
 Transformative innovation similar to public health and
the welfare state
 Sustainability oriented innovation policy
 Societal mission, purposive and pervasive, role of
government

‘Modern’ socio-technical regimes and
unsustainability
 Automobility/aeromobility – climate change
 Carbon based electricity – climate change
 Resource intensive food - biodiversity
 Printed paper communication -deforestation
 The high consumption household – water
stress carbon emissions

Shared issue between developed &
developing countries
 Established regimes in developed countries
the problem of path dependency
 Emergent regimes in developing countries
the problem of expectations
 Different forms of lock-in

Visions of sustainable future regimes
 Low carbon economy
 Ecological food
 Paperless society
 The sustainable household
 The challenges for innovation & policy

A sustainability oriented innovation policy
 Need for system innovation
 Involves technology & social change
 Crosses the production & consumption divide
 The reintroduction of societal mission

The rise and rise of environmental
sustainability
 Environmentalism – from margins to
mainstream
 Formal policy commitments at global level
 No growth vs decoupling
 Climate change – transition to low carbon
economy
 Stern’s case for public intervention

Innovation will save the world
 New consensus around innovation for
sustainability
 Revolution – from white heat to green cool
 Misleading metaphors:
Big technology – Manhattan Project
Incrementalism – new products
Generic technologies – Industrial Rev
 New framework needed

Through a glass darkly – the contemporary
policy window
 Proliferation jungle
 Dogmas – market based instruments,
producer oriented
 Keeping sight of the broad sustainability
agenda
 Transformative innovation

5 principles for reconfiguring innovation
policy for sustainability
 Long term visions –short term action
 Sociotechnical approach – bridging new
technology and behavioural change
 Global and local – reconfiguring national
innovation policy
 Invention and imitation – being realistic about
novelty
 Incumbent and emergent – recognising
contradictions within the business world

A new portfolio of innovation policy
measures
 Demanding futures
 Sustainable innovation commons
 Radical reinnovation
 Green ‘new deal’
 Sustainable transition arenas