Climate change has a major impact on our daily lives. Socially, it is important that innovative, sustainable materials are put into use on a large(er) scale to help realize the transition to a sustainable world. The creative industries can and want to play an important role in this bio-based materials transition. For many designers, this is the main reason why they focus on the (further) development of biobased materials. There is no lack of good ideas. Innovative biobased product designs regularly win awards. However, the necessary step toward broad societal impact does not take place. This is frustrating for the designers and detrimental to society.
That is why the research project “From Award to Impact” sought more effective ways for the creative industry to use their biobased innovations to achieve the impact they strive for: accelerating the biobased transition and improving our living environment. All findings are now compiled in the final report.
Biobased designers, policy makers and stakeholders have explored how unconventional economic models can enhance the (environmental) impact of biobased solutions. This is because the conventional market model, in which societal impact is realized by developing a biobased innovation into a commercially marketable product, proves problematic in practice. It often fails, leaving potentially world-improving innovations on the shelf.
Social mission
The report, written by Sebastian Olma, Douwe-Frits Broens, Kaj Morel and Estelle Nieuwenkamp, is now available and is of specific interest to anyone directly or indirectly involved in the development of biobased materials. The study makes clear which bottlenecks are experienced in the commercial impact route and, at the same time, shows that it is still difficult for all involved to get away from it. A possible promising impact route is a mission-driven innovation in which those involved subordinate their individual interests to the social mission of the biobased materials transition and form a collective in which rules, roles and responsibilities are reconsidered. In the follow-up study titled ‘Collectieve Innovatie voor de Biobased Transitie’ (Collective Innovation for the Biobased Transition), we will further elaborate this impact route together with representatives from the creative industry and other stakeholders, so that the creative industry can actually take the role it wants to take.
Collaboration
The research project ‘From Award to Impact’ was financially supported by CLICK.NL and brought together a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Avans University of Applied Sciences’ Caradt, BWNO and MNEXT as well as industry partners from Biobased Creations and the Dutch Design Foundation.
The final report can be read here
For more details on ‘From Award to Impact’, click below and stay tuned for updates on our follow-up research on Collective Innovation.
