The secret of getting ahead is getting started. (Mark Twain)

Sustainable Innovation

There is a need to fundamentally transform society in order to guarantee a high level of well-being and life satisfaction worldwide while not overburdening the planet’s ecological carrying capacity (see Green economy). For an industrialized country such as Germany, this means, in particular, reducing the average natural resource consumption per capita, in other words, the ecological footprint per person, which is far too high.

Technical innovations related to specific business activities and social as well as institutional innovations contributing to a reduction of natural resource consumption play a fundamental role here.

Borderstep studies how such sustainable innovations emerge, how they can be successfully implemented, and which factors influence their diffusion.

After all, if sustainable lifestyles and consumption patterns are practiced by only a few and if “green” technologies and products are used by only a fraction of individuals and businesses, it will be impossible to put the transformation of Germany’s energy system and a global green economy into practice.

Please click here for an overview of all ongoing projects in the field of sustainable innovation.