Analyzing the innovation process for environmental performance improvement

This paper elaborates the concept of demand articulation in product innovation to analyze innovation for environmental improvement. A conceptual framework has been developed that allows analysis of social demand articulation, the process that stimulates firms toward environmental innovation. Knowledge and information flows that raise the technological capability and awareness level of firms and consumers for environmental improvement are discerned. Their indicators have been developed based on the number of research papers and newspaper articles on environmental issues, respectively. Statistically significant results have been obtained on the role of knowledge and information flows on environmental innovations. Use of the framework on case studies revealed knowledge and information flows on local air quality and global warming led to the development of high-efficiency, low-emission automobiles. In conclusion, social demand articulation is an effective process by which knowledge and information flows mobilize the requisites needed for a successful environmental innovation.