June 2010Contents
- PowerSpout, an innovative and sustainable product
- Why sustainability is now the key driver of innovation
- Primary Growth Partnership
- Congratulations to Jane Lancaster
PowerSpout, an innovative and sustainable product
We have recently worked with EcoInnovation to calculate the carbon footprint of their micro-hydro product PowerSpout, to support its launch in the USA for power generation in remote areas. PowerSpout can be used instead of, or in conjunction, with power from the national grid, or a generator or alongside other renewable energy sources.
We analysed the data on the materials and energy used to manufacture and deliver each PowerSpout and then calculated the associated emissions throughout the product life-cycle. It was found that a PowerSpout can provide an energy-efficient house with all its power needs while producing emissions of just 112 kgCO2 over its lifetime of 10 years. You can see the full report here (557K PDF).
Why sustainability is now the key driver of innovation
The PowerSpout story could be a case study for the recent report in the Harvard Business Review (by
Ram Nidumolu, C.K. Prahalad, and M.R. Rangaswami) illustrating that sustainability strategies are not a bottom line drain to business, but the most effective way to create competitive advantage. Based on a study of the sustainability initiatives of 30 large corporations they have identified 5 stages of change that the businesses went through, each with different challenges.
The five stages:
| Stage | Central challenge | |
| 1 | Viewing compliance as opportunity. | To ensure that compliance with norms becomes an opportunity for innovation. |
| 2 | Making value chains sustainable | To increase efficiencies throughout the supply chain. |
| 3 | Designing sustainable products and services | To develop sustainable offerings or redesign existing ones to become eco-friendly. |
| 4 | Developing new business models | To find novel ways of delivering and capturing value, which will change the basis of competition. |
| 5 | Creating next-practice platforms | To question through the sustainability lens the dominant logic behind business today. |
In their own words: There’s no alternative to sustainable development.
You can read the introduction to the study here, and get the whole study if you’re an HBR subscriber.
Primary Growth Partnership
On September 16, the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon David Carter launched the Primary Growth Partnership (PGP). The PGP is a government-industry initiative (the successor to Fast Forward) that will invest in programmes of research and innovation in the primary, forestry and food sectors.
- Each programme will be a joint investment between the Crown and industry.
- The minimum amount that PGP will co-invest and which must be matched by qualifying industry co-investment is $500,000 over the lifetime of the co-investment programme.
- Almost any type of non-Crown funded industry entity, or group of investors, can apply for co-investment.
- Co-investment programmes must relate to one or more of the following New Zealand primary and food sectors:
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- pastoral (including wool) and arable production
- horticulture
- seafood (including aquaculture)
- forestry and wood products
- food processing (including nutraceuticals and bioactives)
You can access guidelines for co-investors here (273K PDF) but it is worth noting:
- Round One: Closed for proposals on October 8, 2009 with 9 proposals
- Round Two: Closes for proposals: 5.00pm, Thursday, November 19, 2009 but there will be further submission rounds in 2010.
Congratulations to Jane Lancaster
Congratulations to Jane, who has been appointed to the Board of SOE AsureQuality. AsureQuality provides food safety and biosecurity services to the food and primary production sectors.