Research Directions | Project Environment

ESG-Driven Innovation

The project investigates how an ESG-oriented strategic orientation influences innovation processes, competitiveness, and the transformation of business models. At its core, it examines how ESG goals – encompassing environmental, social, and governance dimensions – shape innovation decisions and alter established innovation trajectories.

A particular focus lies on the consequences of ESG orientation: How does it affect the development of new technologies, products, and services? What strategic adjustments in business models emerge as a result? And how does ESG-driven innovation contribute to long-term value creation and firm resilience?

In addition, the project explores the role of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in supporting ESG-related innovation processes, as well as the importance of collaboration, networks, and spillover effects within the broader innovation ecosystem. Taken together, this perspective aims to advance our understanding of how ESG acts as a catalyst for innovation and how firms can actively shape their transition toward more sustainable business models.

Project Environment

The project is carried out with the support of a full-service provider for global IP management that grants access to its comprehensive patent database for research purposes. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach, combining perspectives from sustainability studies, innovation research, strategic management, and technology development.