Sustainable Innovation Award

The World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) defined sustainability as “[Meeting] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” and the OED defines innovation as “The introduction of novelties; the alteration of what is established by the introduction of new elements or forms.” These are but two of the myriad of definitions for the terms sustainable and innovation, terms which represent a broad concept that have vastly different meaning, depending on the context in which they are applied.

Rather that sticking to a rigid definition within the Sustainable Innovation category of the Globe Award Polish Edition, we decided to offer applicants broad freedom. Therefore, we point out only 6 criteria which will be used to evaluate applicants’ sustainable innovations: prime, prosperity, people, planet, perpetuity and principle.

Innovations concern different various functions of organization. For the Globe Award Polish Edition we point out four main domains of innovation (each having modular and systemic aspects): Technical, Biotic, Social, Conceptual.

1. technological innovations (mechanical, chemical, information)
   Modular innovation (eg iPhone)
   Systemic innovation (eg Internet)
2. biotic innovations – related to natural environment
   Modular innovation (eg. genetically modified seed)
   Systemic innovation (eg nature reserve)
3. social innovations – solutions, products supporting society development
   Social project (eg social entrepreneurship)
   Social systemic solution (eg Grameen bank)
4. Conceptual innovations – ideas supporting society development
   Conceptual projects (eg new concepts: Gaia hypothesis)
   Conceptual systems (eg philosophical paradigms – deep ecology)