Despite increasing societal interest in eco-innovation, its practical application has been stunted by inconsistent concepts and definitions. CEA-List researchers analyzed existing literature and standards to establish clarity in eco-innovation terminology. The goals of this work were threefold: to define a framework for positioning sustainable development research activities; to provide guidelines for achieving eco-innovation ambitions; and to ensure consistency across related concepts.
The primary outcome of the study was the creation of a methodological framework designed to characterize and align research projects and technological developments toward sustainable innovation.
The framework organizes research and development activities along two axes and three levels. The first axis, Sustainable Technology, focuses on sustainable development driven by technology, emphasizing the reduction of its direct environmental impacts.
The second axis, Technology for Sustainability, prioritizes the application and use cases of technology, ensuring it serves sustainability objectives. The three levels are grounded in international standards, in particular ISO 14040 and ITU-T L.1480.
This shared vision, adopted internally at CEA-List, has also gained external recognition. A paper detailing the framework was accepted at the Electronics Goes Green conference (Berlin, June 2024), a premier gathering of leading stakeholders in sustainable development of electronics.
