Sustainability and Innovation: key factors for business competitiveness.

Sustainability and Innovation: from antagonists to accomplices.

The United Nations Commission on Environment and Development, in the Brundtland Report published backin 1987, defined sustainable development as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". For years, it was believed that innovation had inherent in it the concept of consumption of natural resources. For this reason, espousing the values of sustainability was always seen as a limitation to growth and innovation processes, and vice versa that investing in innovation was not sustainable. In fact, however, the reality is quite different. The concept of sustainability, in its broadest sense, which includes not only environmental sustainability but also social and economic sustainability, is strongly linked to that of innovation.

Innovation, yes. But sustainable.

Any innovation intervention, whether in processes or products, must be sustainable in order to meet global sustainable development goals.

In order to understand the concept of sustainable innovation, let us quote one of René von Schomberg's best-known definitions of responsible research and innovation:

"a transparent and interactive process through which the various actors in society and innovators interact to ensure that the progress science and technology can give rise to processes and products that are safe for humans and the environment, ethically acceptable and, ethically acceptable and responsive to the needs and requirements of individuals and society".

UN 2030 goals: global challenges to be met through innovation processes.

Sustainability goals are therefore achievable by integrating innovation into business strategy. These challenges force companies to think in a long-term perspective, supporting a real cultural change in the business world.

Sustainability goals can be achieved by integrating innovation into business strategy.

The creation of a corporate culture oriented towards corporate sustainability goes through the consolidation of sustainable practices within the company.