Critical factors for implementing and diffusing sustainable product-Service systems: insights from innovation studies and companies' experiences

Abstract

Eco-efficient Product-Service System (PSS) innovations represent a promising approach to sustainability. However the adoption of such business strategies is still very limited because it often involves significant corporate, cultural and regulatory barriers. An important challenge is not only to conceive eco-efficient PSS concepts, but also to understand the contextual conditions that facilitate their societal embedding, and which strategies and development pathways are the most appropriate.The combination of theoretical insights from innovation studies (in particular Strategic Niche Management and Transition Management) and a case studies research (exploring the innovation journeys made by six companies in introducing their eco-efficient PSS innovations in the market) is used to investigate the factors that influence the implementation and diffusion of this kind of innovations. The article provides a structured overview of these factors, grouping them in four clusters: implementation of socio-technical experiments; establishment of a broad network of actors; building up of a shared project vision; creation of room for broad and reflexive learning processes.Based on these results it is argued that a broader and more strategic system approach should be adopted by companies. Companies should focus not only on the PSS solution and its value chain, but also on the contextual conditions that may favour or hinder the societal embedding of the PSS itself. The article concludes by outlining a key area for future research.

The Role of Socio-Technical Experiments in Introducing Sustainable Product-Service System Innovations

“…Therefore they may cope with the current and dominant socio-technical systems (and their established and relatively stable set of rules and networks of actors) (Tukker and Tischner 2006b;Ceschin 2013a). In other words they can be usually considered radical innovations, and as such they may involve fundamental changes in culture (the sum of norms and values that together constitute the perspective from which actors think and act), practice (the sum of routines and behaviors), institutional structures (rules, regulations, power structures), and economic structures (market, financing, consumption, production) (Rotmans and Loorbach 2010).…”

“… The first step was a case study research aimed at verifying if principles and concepts from transition studies were also valid for PSS innovations (the case study is not described in this paper but in Ceschin (2013a) and Ceschin (2012)). The process of implementation and scaling-up of six sustainable PSSs was analyzed.…”

Fluid transitions to more sustainable product service systems

“…Baines et al, 2007;Cook et al, 2012;Ceschin, 2012;Armstrong et al, 2014). However, a number of new PSS classifications and typologies have been proposed.…”

“…One reason for this may be that little attention has been given to understanding how the process of PSS introduction and diffusion takes place and how it may be managed and orientated Tischner, 2006, Baines et al, 2007;Ceschin, 2012). In this regard, a useful contribution has been made by Ceschin, 2012 who draws on notions of transition management and strategic niche management from innovations studies to formulate a conceptual framework to account for PSS implementation.…”

“…One reason for this may be that little attention has been given to understanding how the process of PSS introduction and diffusion takes place and how it may be managed and orientated Tischner, 2006, Baines et al, 2007;Ceschin, 2012). In this regard, a useful contribution has been made by Ceschin, 2012 who draws on notions of transition management and strategic niche management from innovations studies to formulate a conceptual framework to account for PSS implementation. However, with some exceptions (Cook et al, 2006;, little explicit attention has been given to how the body of PSS knowledge developed in literature may support transition to more sustainable PSS and thereby help address implementation and diffusion challenges.…”