Promoting Eco-innovation among SMEs through the involvement of supply chains

Eco-innovation is based on the ability to develop consumption and production solutions that are energetically efficient, and that assure an optimization of matter cycles, through industrial processes which are reversible and with low energy loss. Indeed, eco-innovation strategies start from a reframing of the production system through its whole lifecycle, promoting life cycle thinking approaches, with special reference to materials, energy and flows. Recent approaches integrate more features about sustainability, introducing social issues and consumption patterns. Within this context, studies on existing supply chains helps to identify applicable solutions (from the choice of raw materials to the delivery services and recycle or waste processing) and to develop practical guidelines for transferring scientific results to companies, especially SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). SMEs represent a relevant part of the whole European industrial sector and therefore should have a relevant role in promoting and implementing eco-innovation; nevertheless, the characteristics of SMEs entail some practical difficulties and limits: the small number of employees, for instance, can determine a limited accessibility to information about innovation policies and instruments (e.g. because there is not a person able to speak foreign languages) and to international and national networks spreading knowledge and promoting best practice. For this reason, it is important to find new ways of involving this kind of enterprises, involving clusters of them (e.g. trade associations or supply chains). Following this approach, the presented case history regards a project to promote eco-innovation that was addressed to a consortium of enterprises involving entrepreneurs of the furniture supply chain.