| Title |
Sustainable innovation in a low- and medium-tech sector: Evidence from an SME in the footwear industry |
| ID_Doc |
71462 |
| Authors |
Kwak, K; Kim, D; Heo, C |
| Title |
Sustainable innovation in a low- and medium-tech sector: Evidence from an SME in the footwear industry |
| Year |
2023 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136399 |
| Abstract |
How does a small firm achieve sustainable innovation in a low-and medium-technology (LMT) sector as a market niche? Based on an exploratory case study, we find that Allbirds, a footwear startup, and its collaborators in the value chain in Korea, achieved sustainable innovation in sustainability branding (the total carbon footprint of footwear) and architectural innovation (a new integral design of the upper portion of footwear). We also find that Allbirds leverages various complementors' resources and capabilities across the value chain. Based on the results, we introduce an interpretive framework that explains a sustainable innovation in an LMT sector, driven by a small firm's efforts at collaboration with external stakeholders, centering on an architectural and radical mar-keting innovation, specifically, emphasizing the use of intra-and transsectoral knowledge. This study deepens understanding of sustainable innovation in the context of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in an LMT sector. |
| Author Keywords |
Architectural innovation; Sustainability branding; Collaboration led by a small firm; Low-and medium-tech sector; Sustainable innovation |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:000949511900001 |
| WoS Category |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences |
| Research Area |
Science & Technology - Other Topics; Engineering; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| PDF |
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