Abstract
Influences from the modern business environment indicate the need for the incorporation of sustainability concepts from an innovation system perspective. In the presented research, we emphasize the energy efficiency concept within the frame of sustainability and innovation. The aim of this research was to underline and explore the relationships between innovation, energy efficiency, and sustainability in the construction industry. To answer the research questions, a questionnaire was created to explore the impact of the energy efficiency certification process on the innovation behavior of construction industry enterprises in Serbia. The results show that energy efficiency has supported innovation, and that there exists a relationship between sustainability and innovativeness in the construction industry. Applying energy efficiency passports has influenced the co-operation of enterprises in the construction sector and other actors in the national innovation system in Serbia. The innovation concept demonstrates that enterprises in the construction industry should be observed as a part of the wider picture—the national innovation system. In turn, the specific context of a particular national innovation system should be seen within the wider picture of national innovation systems of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs).
Highlights
The modern business environment has created a new concept of sustainability, observed in relation to innovation system perspectives
There is a need for strengthening its collaboration with the public and private sectors, as well as with other actors of the innovation system. When it comes to the relationship between the national innovation system and sustainability, especially concerning sectoral approaches, there is very limited literature on the issue
Sustainability-oriented innovation issues are under active research by scholars, especially in terms of energy efficiency
Summary
The modern business environment has created a new concept of sustainability, observed in relation to innovation system perspectives. A national innovation system includes complex interactions between many institutional actors and processes which encourage innovation to create sustainable development. The likely most-cited quote refers to innovation as a factor of economic development. Sustainability merges environmental, social, and economic performance, and includes different stakeholder interests with collaboration potential [5]. The same approach that takes into account stakeholder interactions could be applied to explain a national innovation system [8]. The existing literature has indicated the importance of collaboration between national innovation system actors, such as research institutions (institutes and universities), industries, and policymakers. Collaboration between national innovation system actors supports sustainable development [9]. Some aspects of collaboration between different actors have been investigated in the literature, such as that between universities and industry, with the purpose of underlining knowledge transfer towards environmental.
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