Preliminary empirical research conducted by the leading author has shown that design students using biological analogies, or models across different contexts, often misinterpreted these, intentionally or unintentionally, during design. By copying shape or form without integrating the main function of …

At present, leading international agencies, such as the United Nations Environmental Programme, are largely focused on what they claim to be ‘win-win’ scenarios of ‘sustainable development’ rhetoric. These combine social, economic and environmental objectives. However, as noted by the ‘Scientists’ Warning …

The global industrial economy is still predominantly linear, working according to the take-make-waste principle. This has affected the planet to a concerning amount, which is why the European Union signed the Paris Agreement, committing to a 1,5 to 2 degree scenario of global warming. In order to achieve …

Both research and practice acknowledge that an increasing number of business models are realized by multiple organizations in innovation ecosystems. Little research addresses how organizations develop these business models jointly over time and balance the tensions that occur from the divergent goals …

Increasingly, entrepreneurial growth is discussed in relation to business sustainability and the wider questions of ‘growth’ – economic, green, or sustainable. This chapter will discuss the challenges and opportunities of teaching circular economy and Cradle to Cradle (C2C) models of sustainable production. …

Recent challenges such like climate, demographic, political, economy and market changes are the foundation for the establishment of the Regional Cooperative Westerkwartier (RCW) in the Northern Netherlands. This RCW is managing a vast range of regional programs and projects developed by multi-stakeholder …

Over the last decade, the concept of a circular economy, an industrial economy that is restorative or regenerative by intention and design, has gained increased attention of policy makers, industry and academics. Recently the number of innovation projects, set up by local governments, communities, non-governmental …

Sustainable consumption is interlinked with sustainable production. This chapter will introduce the closed-loop production, the circular economy, the steady state economy, and Cradle to Cradle (C2C) models of production. It will reflect on the key blockages to a meaningful sustainable production and …

Philips strives to make the world healthier and more sustainable through innovation, in both advanced and emerging markets. There are major differences between these worlds, also in healthcare. This is mainly the result of the limited resources in the emerging countries and the lack of availability of …

An effective option for companies to implement circular economy concepts is reuse and remanufacturing. It concerns the (re)use of modules and parts of used and discarded equipment in ‘as new’ or ‘first class’ reused equipment. It is not just an effective way to reuse materials; it is also economically …