Achieving competitive advantage by addressing the dimensions of eco-sustainability and innovation in manufacturing processes

Abstract

This paper explores how firms can generate competitive advantage by simultaneously addressing the dimensions of eco-sustainability and innovation in manufacturing processes. The eco-sustainability dimension is divided into eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness while the innovation dimension is divided into incremental and radical innovation. These two dimensions are combined in an eco-sustainability & innovation matrix which allows to build clusters of studied firms. In order to shed more light into the connectedness of these two dimensions and the impact on competitive advantage, case studies are conducted with firms that are actively engaged in eco-sustainability and innovation initiatives.