Ecological Innovation: Sustainable Development in Slovakia

Abstract

Background: Systematic management of innovation in the context of sustainable development based on ecological innovation is an essential part of the global market. Therefore, it will be guided by ecological innovations, which represent a means of sustainable development. The traditional approach to the evaluation of innovations focused mainly on economic results and failed to capture the ecological dimensions of sustainability from the theme of view of their consumers’ application. Therefore, the paper has the aim of evaluating the sustainability of ecological innovations from the perspective of customers in Slovakia, focusing on the elementary characteristics of sustainability through ecological innovations from the point of view of consumers. In the research, we focus on the parameters of ecological innovations connected with the sustainability of buildings and their operation—energy, health, comfort, materials, living processes and the quality of the place and equipment from the point of view of mobility. Methods: The primary study method is the Kano model. Conclusions: The results point to the fact that Slovak respondents are largely unaffected by ecological innovations, but they perceive the use of cars with an internal combustion engine as a mandatory requirement; innovations in thermal insulation, the use of natural and renewable materials and mass transport are attractive requirements for the respondents. Heating and use of recyclable materials are one-dimensional requirements.