Innovation Management - The online learning center for Managing Innovation.

The world is changing rapidly and fundamentally. Among other things, this means that business as usual is no longer an option. Far-sighted leaders know this, and are already adopting new purposes for their organisations that reflect the need to be kinder to society and the planet. Although this shift builds on concepts such as the triple bottom line, it goes far beyond this: first, it is about transformation, i.e. deep systemic change, rather than reformation, trying to make current outdated systems work better; and second, it will involve significant changes in our own personal beliefs, mindsets and behaviours.

Knowledge, Innovation and Sustainability: integrating micro and macro perspectives Successful international sister conference series of International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics (IFKAD) and Knowledge Cities World Summit (KCWS) decided, for the first time, to bring their energies and communities together and with this strengthened synergy to host their 2012 editions in a joint multi-disciplinary conference [...]

Collaborative consumption and peer to peer (P2P)systems are taking a new turn: collaborative delivery. P2P delivery sites put people in need of different items locally or in faraway places in touch with people who are willing to bring them. They provide access to much needed items to the recipient; new experiences and an opportunity to do a good deed to the deliverer; and make better use of journey related resources and carbon emissions.

Food waste is a major and growing problem; it is also moving rapidly up policy, corporate and consumer agendas. Reducing food waste is a win: win solution several times over: saving the planet, people, resources and money. It may need something of a food waste revolution but the current combination of pressures, new technologies and new solutions may be enough to achieve it.

Entrepreneur Jeff Church discusses whether social enterprises can sell products to affect change in the world. As the co-founder of social enterprise Nika Water, Church believes social entrepreneurs can only have lasting success if they start their enterprises as “nine parts business, one part cause.”

Sustainability may still not be on the top of everyone’s priority list, but those who do take green action get results, and big ones. Chris Sherwin, Head of Sustainability at Seymourpowell, shares his reaction to this year’s Fast Company 50, where a few pleasantly surprising sustainability innovators could be found among the trend setters.

Population pressure and environmental concerns are pushing cities around the world to embrace the concept of green roofs. As climate change distorts natural systems, the environmental, economic and aesthetic benefits of green roofs are set to create a new norm in city management.

In 2011, world population passed the 7 billion mark. While growth will continue, total fertility rates are falling fast and will result in slower population growth and possibly, according to some, declining total population. Lower fertility rates may bring a demographic dividend, significant opportunities but also challenges. Or, we may be doomed, as others would suggest.

As the world welcomes its 7 billionth inhabitant the pressures on water supplies continue to rise, often ignored and underestimated. The pressures on water supply present huge challenges, but also opportunities to improve capture, conservation and management.

Creative business solutions benefit the bottom line, but many times they can also solve environmental challenges by cutting waste and better utilizing resources. Tanja Bisgaard from Novitas Innovation tells IM how she hopes to help her clients, their customers and the planet all at the same time.

Inspiration. Creativity. Meaning. Purpose. Human-centeredness. These terms are at the forefront of the very lively discussion around what design can bring to business and innovation — and they are extremely powerful. Nicole Chen asks if design thinkers have thought enough about their new role.

This participatory program based in the US searches for and discusses innovative ways to create and use energy. Ideas submitted include: business model innovations to facilitate the use of solar energy, new waste-to-fuel options, progress in architecture and building practices, numerous projects to replace folsil fuels with algea, etc. The top Planet Forward innovator will be announced on Thurs. May 5th.

Innovation management is a formative discipline and innovation managers have had their hands full with ideas management, design thinking, service innovation and many more new ideas. But sustainable innovation should be a key tool in any innovation manager’s skill-set, argues Chris Sherwin, sustainability expert at Forum for the Future.

Technology is allowing the change from a “culture of me” to a “culture of we,” from hyper consumption to collaborative consumption. In this video Rachel Botsman describes the different systems of collaborative consumption and how technology is enabling trust between strangers once again.

Watch this inspiring video about a new innovation for the developing world; the Aquaduct is a pedal powered vehicle that transports, filters, and stores clean water. The Aquaduct was the winning entry in the Innovate or Die contest from Google and Specialized.