This document discusses technological innovations for sustainability. It begins with introducing key concepts of technology, innovation and sustainability. It then discusses the need for technological innovation to support sustainable development given the exponential growth of population. The document presents how technology, sustainability and development are related in a cycle and provides examples of technological innovations that have had sustainability impacts. It examines the approaches of large organizations, small innovating companies and other economic entities to technological innovation. The document also includes two case studies, one on generating nuclear power through nuclear wastes and another on technological innovation in the horticulture market. It discusses challenges to sustainable development policies and provides recommendations for the future of technology and sustainability.

1. Technological Innovations for Sustainability
UNDERSTANDING THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Course-
Management of Technology for
Sustainability
Instructor-
Dr. Balachandra Patil
Technological Innovations for Sustainability
Prepared bySwapnil Soni & Sowmiyan Morri
DoMS, IISc
19 February 2014

2. Index
 Introduction
 Need of Technological Innovation
 Technology, Sustainability & Development cycle
 Technological Innovations & Sustainability Impact
 Organizations‟ approach to Technological Innovation
 Case Study

Creation and implementation of sustainable technology

Marketing of sustainable technology
 Challenges of sustainable development for innovation policies
 Future recommendation for Technology & Sustainability
 References
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3. Introduction - „Technology‟
 Science
Application of intellectual and practical activity for systematic study of physical and natural
world through observation and experiment
 Engineering
Application of Science
 Technology
Application of Science and Engineering to study problems and provide solutions
Need
Science
Engineering
Technology
Something more…!
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4. Introduction - „Innovation‟

Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated
needs, or existing market needs.

This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or
ideas that are readily available to markets, governments and society.
Something more…!
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5. Introduction - ‟Sustainability‟
 Sustainability
Long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social
dimensions
 Sustainable Development
Development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs
(Brundtland Commission 1987)
Parameter
Measure
Technology
Productivity &
Efficiency
Growth
Macroeconomic
indicators- GDP, Per
Capita Income
Sustainability
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6. Need of Technological Innovation
Growth
of
„Population‟
follows
Exponential path (Developing countries)
 Growth of „Technology‟ follows Logistic
path
Population/Technology

Unfortunately population growth is not
easily capped
 Fortunately technology & innovation is
our own intellectual property

Developing countries pose exponential
growth trend of population
 Developed countries pose logistic growth
trend of population


Sustainability can be achieved by S-shape: Logistic path -> Sustainable trend
aligning both the Technology &
Population in a common logistic trend
J-shape: Exponential path-> sporadic trend
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7. Need of Technological Innovation
Supply <
World Population Growth
Demand
Crisis !!
Solution: Sustainable Development
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8. Technology, Sustainability & Development cycle
Non assimilative
Solution required!
Assimilation by Environment
Resource
Externalities
Equity
Innovation
Technology
Development
Need
Solution
Growth
Feedback
• Technology exploits the resources to provide solutions to meet the need of society and
generates externalities.
• These solutions & externalities instigate innovation to get better solution.
• Thus, if technology is the source of problem then it is the source of solution too.
• Technological innovation leads to development of the society.
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9. Technological Innovations & Sustainability Impact
Sustainability Impact
Technology
Innovation
Economic
Thermal
Power plant
Regenerative heat
exchanger
(Robert Stirling in 1816)
Automobile
Catalytic convertor
• High installation cost
• Economical in operation
• Less fuel input to boiler
Increased efficiency (25% to 40%)
• Less emission of Carbon footprints
(100 to 95kg/GJ )
• Additional cost ($ 150)
• Norilsk, Russia-polluted due to
Platinum supply used for catalytic
convertor
• NOx emissions in the US falling to
8.2% in 2008, from a high of 17.77%
in 1998
•High installation cost
• Increased furnace productivity
• Lower operating costs due to reduced
coke consumption
• Longer campaign life & less
maintenance
• Less carbon emission due to
reduced coal consumption
• Better productivity & quality in
industrial sectors
• Unemployment
•Non-biodegradable Technotrash
• Reduced waste due to re-work
• Paper less communication
(Eugene Houdry, 1950)
Steel Plant
BLT charging
furnace
(Pauwurth 1972)
Automation
Computer
(Charles Babbage, 1837)
Technological Innovations for Sustainability
Ecology
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10. Organizations‟ approach to Technological Innovation
 Large companies:
 Sustainable development is an element of the long-term strategy, because economic and
environmental aspects are increasingly interdependent.
 Adapt the concept of sustainable development to their activities, making it an “ad hoc” concept
 Own R&D structures or sufficient financial resources to have access to technologies developed by
others
 Technological innovation is a means of standing apart from competition.
Company
Innovation centers
Purpose & Achievements
To accelerate progress in the highly promising fields of the
environment, energy, and mobility. Cyber-physical
systems will address green technology for instance and
conserve energy in buildings
Robert Bosch Research
Centre
(Bangalore, 1991)
www.boschindia.com/
Engineering Research Centre
(Pune, 1966)
www.tatacars.com/innovations/
Invention of innovative materials and structures, highperformance microprocessors and computers, numerous
contributions to physical and computer sciences,;
Nobel prize award
IBM Research
(New York, 1945)
www.research.ibm.com/
Technological Innovations for Sustainability
Vehicle emission analysis for petrol, diesel or CNG. This
laboratory helps to achieve fuel consumption efficiencies
that would conform to international standards & to bring
down levels of atmospheric pollution caused by vehicular
exhaust.
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11. Organizations‟ approach to Technological Innovation
 Small innovating companies:
 Often in fairly small niche markets , but are convinced that their products correspond directly to a




sustainable development perspective
They are impatient with the slow progress of the public authorities‟ implementation of a real global
strategy to fight the greenhouse effect and enact environmental protection
Their small size prevents them from having an effective lobbying policy
They develop strategies to ensure their maintenance or growth on the current market
They pay great attention to their employees and create a favourable climate for R&D. Innovation is
their credo.
Citation:
 MSME Industries – Peenya, Bangalore
 Other economic entities:
 Harmful environmental effects do not threaten their activities in the short run
 Sustainable development is not a strategic component, but one aspect among others to be taken into
account.
Citation:
 Households, Local retail shops, Autodrivers (Process Innovation)
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12. Technology –that was unsustainable !!
• Does all the technologies tread the
way of sustainability?
• Image processing exalted the
fishery
• Yet how long we got the reap of this
• A steep decline was faced after
1970
• Mistake: Improper utilization of
Technology in the way of
sustainability
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13. Case Study-
1
Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear Waste
Creation and implementation of sustainable technology
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14. Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear wastes-TerraPower
TerraPower aims to develop a sustainable and economic
nuclear energy technology using:
•Next-generation safe, affordable, clean and secure technologies
•Advanced materials for more durable metallic fuels
•World-class leadership for dynamic reactor engineering and innovation
•Supercomputing for reliable and comprehensive modelling
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15. Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear wastes-TerraPower
Safety:
• Design features meet current regulatory requirements for nuclear reactor safety with the additional benefits
of innovative passive safety features.
• The traveling wave reactor (TWR) is a Generation IV reactor, of which a key characteristic is the use of
passive safety features to mitigate accident scenarios.
Some of the key safety features of the TWR:
•As a pool-type reactor, it allows for a large heat sink, thereby slowing the accident scenario considerably
because of the time required for the coolant to heat up.
•The TWR uses metallic fuel that has significantly less retained energy than equivalent oxide fuel (i.e., less
energy to be absorbed in an accident).
•It eliminates hydrogen-producing materials, such as those created in LWRs when fuel temperatures reach
1,200 degrees Celcius and water reacts with zirconium.
•The TWR incorporates inherent safety features that can shut the reactor down without using control rods.
•Its passive independent residual heat removal systems do not rely on electricity, but rather use natural
circulation and coolant to air heat exchangers.
“Using the laws of physics, the plant will shut down automatically without the need for
human intervention in the case of a natural disaster.”
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16. Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear wastes-TerraPower
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17. Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear wastes-TerraPower
Economic Sustainability:
By making more efficient use of depleted uranium as fuel, TerraPower's design results in a lower cost of power.
•By eliminating fuel reprocessing, the TWR reduces the cost of nuclear energy production. On a country level,
this simplifies the infrastructure required to kick-start and operate a nuclear energy program.
•The first generation of TWRs will reduce the need for enrichment and the second generation will eliminate
the need for enrichment entirely. This leads to a further reduction of fuel and infrastructure costs.
•The TWR can run without refueling for about 40 years. While the reactor will occasionally pause to shuffle
fuel, there is no need to stop for a fuel reload every 18 months. This reduces costs for operation and
maintenance.
•Because the TWR burns its fuel more efficiently, it produces less waste for the electricity generated. In fact, it
could generate a minimum of seven times less waste than today‟s light water reactors. This leads to
dramatically reduced disposal and storage costs for spent fuel.
“The TWR is expected to save approximately $2 billion in fuel costs compared to today's light
water reactors, over the life of the plant.”
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18. Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear wastes-TerraPower
Environmental Sustainability:
•The TWR will provide large amounts of sustainable base load power. For the amount of fuel used, the TWR
will produce up to 50 times more power compared to today‟s light water reactors.
•The TWR will reduce the amount of nuclear waste produced at end-of-life. The TWR will produce a minimum
of seven times less waste than today's light water reactors. With the use of sodium as coolant, the TWR will
operate at a higher temperature, allowing higher thermal efficiency for electrical generation.
•The TWR will utilize depleted uranium as its main fuel. Just in the United States, more than 750,000 metric
tons of depleted uranium sits useless, like that stored in Paducah, Ky. TWRs could convert this material into
enough electricity to power all U.S. households for more than 700 years.
“The TWR produces a minimum of seven times less waste than today's light water reactors.”
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19. Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear wastes-TerraPower
Minimizing Security Risks
“Removing enrichment from nuclear energy production allows a clear separation between
countries pursuing peaceful uses of nuclear energy and those who are not.”
The TWR simplifies the nuclear fuel cycle, containing it within the core of the reactor. It requires no chemical
reprocessing capabilities and eventually no enrichment capabilities. This eliminates key points that traditionally
provide opportunity for proliferation.
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20. Case Study-
2
Technological innovation in Horticulture Market
Marketing of sustainable technology
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21. Implementation of Technological Innovation

Objective – Foray into New line of business

Business related facts (India)
Installed solar power capacity in India: 1.8GW
Domain - Automation in Greenhouse farming market
in India

Target customers- Horticulture organizations & farmers
(commercial farming of Fruits, Flowers & Vegetables)

Target customers‟ geography- North-East India, Ladakh,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

Need identification for automation

Market requirement:

Greenhouse technology started only during 1980’s
National Committee on the use of Plastics in
Agriculture (NCPA-1982)
The commercial utilization of greenhouses started from
1988
In 1991, 103 projects with foreign investment of more
than Rs.80 crores have been approved to be set up in the
country at an estimated cost of more than Rs.1000 crores
around Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, GOI
Increase in demand of horticulture products due to globalization and augmentation in purchasing power of
consumer in India


Requirement of higher productivity in greenhouse farming to suffice the market demand
Operational requirement (to fulfill the above):

Requirement of constant monitoring system in polyfarms for prevention from insects & adverse climate

Maintenance of favorable condition in greenhouse –Soil PH value 5.5 - 6, Temperature 2535degC, Humidity 50-60%

Prevention of human entry inside polyfarms during use of insecticides- formalin
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22. Implementation of Technological Innovation

Demand driven design
Based on the mentioned key market and operational requirement in line with core competency of the
company, it has to do the reverse engineering to drill down to technical requirement by the customer
Automated monitor inside the greenhouse to maintain the favorable condition at low cost

Advanced Sensor to sense & measure the following
 Temperature
 Humidity
 Wind flow speed & direction (external & internal)
 PH value of soil
 Water droplets size & velocity of foggers
 Fungus detection & Leaf sensor

Methodology
These sensors will fetch the various data of above
mentioned parameters and will process to an
integrated monitoring system that will monitor the
greenhouse and plants on real time basis . Constant
monitoring and preventive actions will yield better
productivity.

Cost effectiveness
A major portion of power to run the system can be
sufficed by solar battery itself to ensure cost
effectiveness of system.
Source: DaeHeon Park, Sunchon National University
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23. Challenges of sustainable development for innovation policies

Filling market gaps
To narrow the gap between the private return and the return to society, between the current and
future generations

Supporting dissemination of clean technologies
Low on consumption of resources, by favouring the dissemination of information and knowledge

Promoting technological diversity
To avoid getting locked into technologies which may present long-term risks

Reinforcing the long-term innovation capacity
Favouring the development of skills and strategic prospecting

Standardization
Laying down procedures to improve coherence of the various agents, to encourage
appropriation of technologies by users and by society (patents)

Encouragement
Encouraging citizen participation in developing effective scenarios for a social-economic
assessment of technological choices
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24. Future recommendation for Technology & Sustainability
Kyoto Protocol

Firm A gets 100 Carbon Credit (permission for 100 Tonne CO2 emission)

Due to its increased production it exceeded the permitted unit to 150 Carbon Credit

Firm B sells its Carbon Offsetters (saved CO2 by CDM- Clean Development Mechanism) &
gets fund for its further CDM & as a reward for its fulfilled Social & Environmental
responsibility
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25. Future recommendation for Technology & Sustainability
Economic & Ecological Impact
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26. Future recommendation for Technology & Sustainability
Criticism with Carbon Tax
Carbon Tax

Tax imposed on a firm for GHG emission

Post paid Social cost of damaging environment

No flexibility
Carbon Credit

Pre-paid Social cost of damaging environment

Simplicity in calculation & flexible “Kyoto
Protocol”

Tradable Certificate

Promotes enterprise to reduce GHG emission
by adopting CDM

Direct “Reward” to firm developing Ecofriendly tech (CDM)
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27. References
Websites







www.unece.org
en.wikipedia.org
www.sustainability.com
www.innovationcouncil.gov.in
www.coursera.org
www.youtube.com
www.google.com
Research Papers




Technological innovation fostering sustainable development by Cécile Patris, Gérard Valenduc, Françoise
Warrant
How Technology Could Contribute to a Sustainable World by Philip J. Vergragt
Costing the Earth: Equity, Sustainable Development and Environmental Economics by Sharon Beder
The Role of Technology in Sustainable Development by Sharon Beder
Report

Harnessing science, technology and innovation for sustainable development By ICSU-ISTS-TWAS
Consortium ad hoc Advisory Group
Tools used


Microsoft Encarta (Encyclopedia for offline references)
Microsoft Excel (for data analysis & graphs)
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28. Innovation for sustainability at “Caterpillar “
Founded
California, United States (April 15, 1925)
Industry
Heavy equipment, Engines, Financial services
Revenue
US$ 65.87 billion (2012)
Status
•1st its industry
•44th overall in the Fortune 500 (2009 )
Products
Machinery, Engines, Trucks, Defence Products, Agriculture products,
Electronics
Innovation for sustainability
Hydraulic power pack unit in excavators & cranes
Dual Gas Blending for cost effective fuel consumption
Economic sustainability by optimization of equipments travel using GPS tracking
Video : Innovation + Technology -- Sustainability.mp4
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29. Quotations
The poor are greatest entrepreneurs
who have to innovate everyday to
survive & sustain.
- Muhammad Yunus
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30. Thank you!
We realized….
“If Technology has created problem then Technology itself is only the solution for
sustainable development”
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