Bossink: Eco-innovation and sustainability - Co-innovation in businesses

12 important questions on Bossink: Eco-innovation and sustainability - Co-innovation in businesses

The third category of organizational forms at the co-innovation level of Bossinks model is 'businesses'. Where does the sustainably innovative business stands for?

For the commercial firm or several cooperating firms that transform the sustainable ideas from to co-ideation level into innovations that can be sold. The sustainable business differs from the traditional one in the sense that it delivers value that is sustainable, it integrates economic, ecological, biological social and societal value.

A sustainable business tries to find new ways to delight customer groups. It wants to serve shareholders and stakeholders and the business is aware by customers that are willing to pay a price for sustainable quality. Why are the businesses needed? (Bossink)

To transform the ideas into innovations. It is the third element at the co-innovation level.

New businesses are often developed by several vooeprating and co-innovating teams working on various projects and in one or more organizations. What is a characteristic of a successful sustainably innovative business? (Bossink) 

That is is developed and exploited by a combination of cooperating commercial firms and public organizations. Often 2 or more organizations join forces to fight for a new market share. They transform the new ideas into busines sproposals, develop partnetships to combine and shares competences and resources, and establish joint ventures to produce and exploit the innovations on the marketplace. This to create extra value.
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Many organizations that develop new sustainable business consider the economic opportunities and risks of co-innovation with other companies. These companies need technological and financial support from others, but cooperation means that they also have to share knowledge, turnover and profits. What does this mean according to Bosisnk?

At the first sight, cooperation seems less beneficial than going it alone. While it can be beneficial to broaden the innovative firms horizon and to share, combine and synergize the others companies complementary recources, it can cost time and money to find the right partner and it can be difficult to align both firms. Its a process of making and keeping agreements. The process can be complex and firms have to deal with pros and cons.

How can, according to Bossink, the process of co-innovative new business development be described?

As a trajectory of sequential activities. Partnering organization can go through and start, interrupt, and repeat all the time to organize their cooeprative ambitions.  

How can the linear trajectory of co-innovating firms be described? (Bossink)

That are firms that do not have the capabilities to innovate on their own and try to explore the possibilities of co-innovation with others. After negotiation they decide to co=innovate or not and if they do, they enter into a contract. The make agreements and develop innovations plans. Then an organization is established for co-innovation through which they are going to develop the innovations. 

Which forms kan the organization of the linear trajectory have? (Bossink)

Alliance, joint venture, learning network, R&D consortium. The cooperation organizationes decide which governance structure they want to use and manage the joint organization. 

Once the innovations are realized and the business is developed, the cooperating organizations can focus on the exploitation of their innovative products and services. What does Bossink mean with this new sustainable business exploitation?

The sustainable products/services/processes that originate from the new business developtment process constitute the firms' new business design. 

According to Bossink their are 4 sustainability requirements that need to take into account by organizations that wish to exploit their innovations. Which 4?

1 Perpetuate (in stand houden) resources (it produces benefit streams by enhancing and maintaining quality of human and natural resources for the longest possible time)
2 Strategically satisfy a complex of criteria
3 Stress the production of sustainable quality
4 Serve multiple stakeholders.

According to Bossink, an ecologically sustainable industry forms a counterweight against overpopulation, overconsumption, and the depletion (uitputting) and waste of resources. Sustaiably competitive firms adopt 3 natural resource-based tactics to build their strategies. Which three?

1 Pollution prevention (reduction of emissions and waste)
2 Product stewardship (reduction of the environmental burden)
3 Sustainable development (become a clean producers, making a social and societal contribution to stakeholders all over the world)
> A sustainable strategy can become a key strategy for outperforming competitors

Describe the essential message of Bossink regarding to businesses?

Firms have to be active in eco- and sustainability innovative business development activities such as knowledge exchange, negotiations, (in)formal contracting and joint-ventures. And firms can develop the ability to exploit business models that generate extra environmental, social and societal value, serve multiple stakeholders, are economically and sustainably viable and are based on a natural resource-based strategy.

Business is the third element at the co-innovation elvel of Bossinks model. The research shows that the sustainably innovative business has 2 characteristic aspects. Describe those 2?

1 New sustainable business development (this comprises the efforts to organize the process of co-innovation between partnering firms and addresses the activities that are needed to exploit a sustainably innovative JV
2 New sustainable business exploitation (this includes the activities that generate a financial and sustainable profit from the sustainable business. It aims to perpetuate resources, create extra sustainable quality to the customer, service multiple stakehodlers and implement a natural resource-based strategy that consists of pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable development).
> The eco- and sustainably innovative bussiness is an important organizational firm that structures co-innovative activity.

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