Eco-innovation at the firm-level in Norway: Drivers and implications

The increasing global concern about the impact of firms on the environment, especially in pollution, overexploitation of natural resources and the overarching threat of climate change, has amplified calls for firms to play an increased role in mitigating the negative externalities of their activities. As firms become increasingly focused on mobilising their resources to address these challenges through eco-innovation, the question of what drives these types of innovation is of utmost importance.  

This thesis investigates to what extent different forms of knowledge play a role in driving eco-innovation, especially when it comes to the geography of collaboration and knowledge complementarity. Additionally, it also studies whether engaging in eco-innovation is a dynamic capability that can provide resilience and responsiveness for a firm during an external shock.   

Adopting a quantitative approach and utilising three different datasets generated from surveys carried out in Norway, the results show a complex relationship between eco-innovation and regional and international synthetic and analytical knowledge collaboration. In addition, when it comes to eco-innovation, although synthetic and analytical knowledge are both relevant, surprisingly these two forms of knowledge substitute for each other rather than being complementary. Furthermore, the results show that not only were eco-innovation firms more positively affected by COVID-19, but they also responded more innovatively in other aspects of their operations as a direct response to the pandemic.  

This study informs the empirical understanding of the relevance for eco-innovation of analytical and synthetic knowledge, where these forms of knowledge are acquired from, and the implications of combining them. In addition, it also informs the theoretical understanding of eco-innovation and how it relates to dynamic capabilities for resilience and innovative activity during times of an external shock.  

Trial Lecture

M005 -K2, HVL, Campus Bergen.

30th May 2024, kl. 10:05

Title for Trial lecture:- Complexity and causality in eco-innovation research.

Defence

M005 -K2, HVL, Campus Bergen.

30th May 2024, kl. 11:30

Defence Committee

Committee Leader: Associate Professor Maria Tsouri, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, (HVL).

1^st opponent:-  Professor Sverre Johan Herstad, University of Oslo.
2^nd opponent:- Professor José Luis Sanchez, University of Salamanca.

Supervisors

Main supervisor: Professor Jarle Aarstad, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Co- Supervisor: Arnt Fløysand.

Defence Leader

Professor Stig Erik Jakobsen, Vice-Dean for Research

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