Research projects
	ITDD - Technological innovations fostering sustainable development, for the federal programme "Levers for sustainable development", implemented by the Federal Services for Scientific, Technical and Cultural affairs (SSTC) (1997-2001)

Project objectives

The project attempts to consider all forms of technological innovation that favours sustainable development, whether they concern processes, products or models of organisation. It will also considers the whole "chain" of innovation and devotes special attention to the multiplicity of innovation patterns. The project pursues five scientific objectives, corresponding to five work packages in the project planning :

• The examination of the ambivalent role of technological innovation, which has been diagnosed both as a cause of non-sustainable development and as a key factor in the development of a new mode of production, compatible with sustainable development.
  
  
• The characterisation and classification of sustainable technologies and innovation processes, taking into account not only their environmental aspects but also other dimensions of sustainable development.
  
  
• The examination of the socio-economic impact of these sustainable technologies and innovation processes, notably in terms of competitiveness and employment.
  
  
• The examination of the relationships between technological innovation and other instruments fostering sustainable development, including research policies, regulations and standards, economic instruments (taxes, subventions, public procurement, etc.), and institutional instruments (dialogue and negotiation processes, cooperation agreements).
  
  
• The examination of the restraints on and incentives to the implementation of policies for innovation and for the dissemination of sustainable development policies. The consideration of the conclusions in the light of the Belgian institutional context.
  

The project has been carried out by Cécile Patris, Gérard Valenduc (promotor) and Françoise Warrant, with other specific contributions from Anne-Catherine Rousseau, Véronique Porot and Patricia Vendramin.

Publications in English

Patris V., Valenduc G., Warrant F., Technological innovation fostering sustainable development, Summary of the final report delivered to the Belgian Science Policy Office, 2001 (15 pages, downloadable Acrobat PDF).

Valenduc G., Patris C., Warrant F., Technological innovation fostering sustainable development: some case studies in Belgium, paper presented at the Third POSTI International Conference "Policy agendas for sustainable technological innovation", University of East London, 1-3 December 2000. Downloadable abstract (HTML) and paper (PDF).

Valenduc G., Vendramin P., Science, technological innovation and sustainable development, in the Proceedings of the Conference Science for a Sustainable Society, Roskilde (DK), Oct. 1997. Downloadable (Acrobat PDF).

Other publications in French

Final report: Patris C., Valenduc G., Warrant F., L'innovation technologique au service du développement durable, Rapport HL/DD/020, SSTC-DWTC, Bruxelles, février 2001 (82 pages, Acrobat PDF). Paper version available on request by e-mail.

Working papers (in French):

• Working paper n°1 : Aspects conceptuels : le rôle de l'innovation technologique dans le développement durable (G. Valenduc, F. Warrant)
  (Acrobat PDF)
• Working paper n°2 : Les liens entre les politiques environnementales et les politiques d'innovation (A-C. Rousseau, G. Valenduc, F. Warrant)
  (Acrobat PDF)
  
• Working paper n°3 : Stratégies d'innovation des entreprises : résultats empiriques (A-C. Rousseau, C. Patris, G. Valenduc, F. Warrant)
  (Acrobat PDF)
• Working paper n°4 : Politiques et instruments de stimulation de l'innovation technologique favorable au développement durable (C. Patris, F. Warrant)
  (Acrobat PDF)
• Working paper n°5 : Un domaine technologique emblématique : les sources d'énergie renouvelables dans la production d'électricité (C. Patris, F. Warrant)
  (Acrobat PDF)

Further information on the programme "levers for sustainable development" on the web site of the Belgian Science Policy Office.