The Eco-Innovation Observatory
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24 May 2010
Eco-innovation offers a huge market for enterprises and has become one of the cornerstones of the European Union strategy in response to the global environmental and economic challenges being faced.
It is recognised in many studies and policy documents that developing eco-innovation capabilities and practices has significant commercial potential across all economic sectors. At the same time, reducing uncertainly about future market developments will help boost investment and accelerate innovation in environmental technologies, products and services.
To facilitate this market development, the Eco-Innovation Observatory (EIO) aims to provide a much-needed integrated information source on eco-innovation for companies and innovation service providers, as well as providing a solid decision-making basis for policy development.
The Observatory approaches eco-innovation as a pervasive phenomenon present in all economic sectors and therefore relevant for all types of innovation, defining eco-innovation thus:
"Eco-innovation is the introduction of any new or significantly improved product (good or service), process, organisational change or marketing solution that reduces the use of natural resources (including materials, energy, water and land) and decreases the release of harmful substances across the whole life-cycle."
