Abstract
This contribution to the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) presents a case study for an approach to design sustainable innovation. No nation is on track to achieve the UN sustainable development goals for 2030. The traditional innovation ecosystem is insufficient. Rather than only solving problems, technological innovation is creating new challenges that society is struggling with. Innovation needs to be developed differently to focus on impact.Geneva Macro Labs initiated a new approach to foster sustainable innovation which was based on a combination of systems theory, collective intelligence, agile development and design thinking. The initiative, called Geneva impACTs, brought together a diverse group of experts, start-ups and investors to develop innovative projects, aiming to make inroads towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. It started at a time when COVID-19 measures made it impossible for groups to meet in person and so the entire process was conducted virtually using a range of online tools.A critical reflection shows the methodological strengths of the Geneva impACTs approach and identifies suggestions for improvement to be considered for future iterations. As an overall result, this new methodology is highly conducive to impact innovation.
Highlights
Innovation holds great promise to make the world a better place
What approach best supports a diverse community engaging in an open innovation process towards sustainability, where problems can be connected with solutions at all stages? How can the tension between collaborative knowledge sharing and competitive protectionism of ideas and insights be managed so as to avoid risking potential innovation falling by the wayside during the process or being blocked by expertise (Bogers 2011)? To learn from and build on the first iteration of the Geneva impACTs initiative, a qualitative study based on evaluative interviews with independent facilitators who were each responsible for supporting and overseeing one of three different, interdisciplinary innovation focus groups was conducted
The process comprises two phases: The first is an ideation and build phase, where actual project ideas emerge from design thinking sessions inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); executable concepts are built from market-fit ideas by teams of experts working in focus groups that could benefit from a think tank community
Summary
Innovation holds great promise to make the world a better place. In recent times, the lives of many people have been transformed by innovation, though often the driving force for innovation has been financial gain to the detriment of larger, important societal considerations. Innovation for sustainability could help the world’s population raise global living standards, improve human health and protect the environment (Soumitra et al 2021) Against this backdrop, innovation for sustainability has been gaining importance, as a narrative to guide the changes towards new socio-technical and socio-ecological systems (Patterson et al 2017), and as a tool to strengthen preparedness, coordinate responses across multiple sectors and mitigate critical risks. Based on the principle of systems thinking, the authors reflect on how the development of impact innovation can be best supported and they highlight the benefits and some challenges that may come with collective intelligence
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