INNANET - Practice-oriented concept for implementation of industrial sustainability-networks

Status

completed

Summary

The aim of the project INNANET was to develop a practical concept for the implementation of industrial sustainability networks and to undertake first steps towards a concrete realization. Therefore different kinds of supply chains and/or networks were used as starting points: on the one hand inter-organizational cooperation along supply chains in the conventional sense (type A) and on the other hand within recycling-oriented supply chains and/or networks (type B).

An industrial sustainability network is understood as a system of voluntary but organized cooperation among different stakeholders with the common goal of sustainable development of society within a certain region. It provides the organizational frameworks for the realization of a wide variety of inter-organizational activities which refer to sustainable development both on an economical as well as on an ecological and social level. Examples of such activities are particularly recycling or cascading down resources, cooperation for sustainability-oriented product development or for the improvement and integration of processes, further for commonly bearing social responsibility as well as for inter-organizational learning and knowledge development.

In the sense of a theory-led empirical work in this project the present knowledge in the field of supply chains and/or networks of the types A and B needed to be considered. From this basis hypotheses were derived, which represent the fundamental basis of the following empirical research. By the comparison of the ideal picture of an industrial sustainability network and the actual condition of cooperation relations along and/or within the supply chains or networks of the types A and B a need for action could be identified. For this a practical concept for the implementation of the model of an industrial sustainability network was developed. This concept considered the concrete situation of the enterprises in the supply chains of the type A and B. It is not a mere theoretical concept; it is rather based on a sophisticated empirical analysis of the present situation. In this way all factors and barriers were taken into consideration, which is relevant for an implementation. Modern management tools like the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard were used and transferred to the network level.

Hence, a taskforce was built with the purpose to accompany the project starting already with the conception of the empirical analysis and to bring in the view of practice and thus to ensure an internal quality control. Furthermore the project team and the created taskforce were together responsible for the diffusion of the concept, which was summarized in a practice-oriented manual. Especially a workshop with potential pilot enterprises for sustainability networks was organized as a potential starting point for the later implementation. Thus, a first step to a demonstration sustainability network is already done. Apart from the advantages specified above, by the formation of sustainability networks industry get a central institutional role for sustainable development of regions, also in public consciousness. This means a considerable milestone of structural innovation towards an economy aligned to sustainability - initiated by the program line "Factory of Tomorrow". Further, lectures were held and scientific publications were composed for the improvement and positioning of the Austrian R&D competence within the field of sustainable development.

Project management

Dr. Alfred Posch
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Tel.: ++43 / (0)316 / 380 ex. 3234
Fax: ++43 / (0)316 / 380 ex. 9585
E-Mail: alfred.posch@uni-graz.at
Internet: http://www.uni-graz.at/inmwww

Project or cooperation partner

• Prof. Dr. Heinz Strebel
  Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
  Institut für Innovations- und Umweltmanagement
  A-8010 Graz, Universitätsstraße 15/G2
  Tel.: ++43 / (0)316 / 380 ex. 3231
  Fax: ++43 / (0)316 / 380 ex. 9585
  E-Mail: heinz.strebel@uni-graz.at
  Internet: http://www.uni-graz.at/inmwww
• Mag. Elke Perl
  Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
  Institut für Innovations- und Umweltmanagement
  A-8010 Graz, Universitätsstraße 15/G2
  Tel.: ++43 / (0)316 / 380 ex. 3237
  Fax: ++43 / (0)316 / 380 ex. 9585
  E-Mail: elke.perl@uni-graz.at
  Internet: http://www.uni-graz.at/inmwww
• Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Ulrike Seebacher
  Interuniversitäres Forschungszentrum für Technik, Arbeit und Kultur (IFZ)
  A-8010 Graz, Schlögelgasse 2
  Tel.: ++43 / (0)316 / 81 39 09 ex. 25
  Fax: ++43 / (0)316 / 81 02 74
  E-Mail: seebacher@ifz.tu-graz.ac.at
  Internet: http://www.ifz.tugraz.at
• Mag. Jürgen Suschek-Berger
  Interuniversitäres Forschungszentrum für Technik, Arbeit und Kultur (IFZ)
  A-8010 Graz, Schlögelgasse 2
  Tel.: ++43 / (0)316 / 81 39 09 ex. 31
  Fax: ++43 / (0)316 / 81 02 74
  E-Mail: suschek@ifz.tu-graz.ac.at
  Internet: http://www.ifz.tugraz.at
• Mag. Dirk Raith
  Freiberuflicher Soziologe
  A-8020 Graz, Griesplatz 28a
  Tel.: ++43 / (0)316 / 72 24 83
  E-Mail: diahrk@aon.at

Institut für Innovations- und Umweltmanagement
A-8010 Graz, Universitätsstraße 15/G2