Innovations for sustainability: challenges of utilising sustainability-related knowledge

The demands for more sustainable development are increasing, and solving complex sustainability challenges is acknowledged to require innovations that take environmental, social and economic perspectives into consideration. The development of innovations for sustainability requires the utilisation of sustainability knowledge, i.e., creating market value by combining pieces of environmental, organisational and social information. In this study, we address the reasons why sustainability knowledge is not exploited more broadly and set focus on the challenges in the utilisation of sustainability knowledge. The empirical data for the study was collected in an interdisciplinary expert workshop and by conducting semi-structural interviews in four Finnish companies. The study reveals challenges in the utilisation of sustainability knowledge at all stages of knowledge management. We also analyse the potential of digitalisation in enhancing innovations for sustainability and lowering the challenges in the utilisation of sustainability knowledge.