Transitions towards sustainable innovations: Linking resource efficiency and new technologies

This paper focuses on transition strategies for sustainable innovations using new technologies. The paper highlights results from a global mapping study of best practice examples with high resource efficiency potential. A methodological framework for identifying technological innovations and assessing their sustainability potential is presented. The results highlight the relevance of early stages of technology development as key phase to assess risks and opportunities with regard to sustainability issues. This paper is based on the results of a two-year project conducted by the Wuppertal Institute, Trifolium, Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering and University of Stuttgart. The applied research has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and comprises a methodological framework, which include an extensive desk research at worldwide level as well as international interviews and workshops with qualified international experts and stakeholders