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The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Innovating for Sustainability

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Innovation for Sustainability

Abstract

To ensure survival along the digital transformation journey, incumbent firms must rethink their ways of doing business. To understand the potential impacts of digital technologies—including artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of things (IoT), digital manufacturing, augmented reality (AR), blockchain and digital platforms—on economic, environmental and social sustainability, this chapter offers an overview of potential benefits and challenges. Following an introduction to the technologies’ key features, their potential effects on sustainability are discussed in depth, complemented with insights from examples from practice. This balanced view of opportunities and challenges serves as a starting point to leverage these potentials when creating innovative solutions with positive impacts on sustainability along the digital transformation journey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics and Management, Institute of Management and Business Administration, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany

    Sabrina Schneider

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  1. Sabrina Schneider
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Correspondence to Sabrina Schneider .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Nancy Bocken

  2. Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta, Finland

    Paavo Ritala

  3. Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta, Finland

    Laura Albareda

  4. Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

    Robert Verburg

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Schneider, S. (2019). The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Innovating for Sustainability. In: Bocken, N., Ritala, P., Albareda, L., Verburg, R. (eds) Innovation for Sustainability. Palgrave Studies in Sustainable Business In Association with Future Earth. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97385-2_22

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