Call for Papers on Innovation

Exploring the Dynamics of Water Innovation- Call for Papers for a Special Volume of the Journal of Cleaner Production

Access to water is a human right and essential for meeting basic human needs. Furthermore, water is indispensible for agriculture, healthy ecosystems and all industrial processes and, therefore, for economic development. Yet the water sector, particularly in developing countries, is facing enormous challenges due to climate change, rapid population growth, rising demand for water, increasing pollution of sources leading to ever more insecure water resources (ADB (Asian Development Bank), 2013,UNESCO, 2012,UNESCO, 2014andDeloitte 2012). To address these challenges, innovation is crucial. This Special Volume (SV) is based on the realization that these are substantive reasons for examining, in detail, how water-related innovations are generated, diffused and applied and, based on an improved understanding, how these processes can be fostered by overcoming obstacles and bottlenecks to water innovation.

The importance of water-related innovations has been realized by policy makers in recent years and is evident by its increasing inclusion in policy and research agendas and international fora, e.g. the water-related challenges addressed in the Horizon2020 programme, the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Strategic Forum for International Science and Technology Cooperation of the European Commission and Member States, the European Innovation Platform on Water (EIP Water), the Joint Programming Initiative of EU Member states on Water (JPI Water), the Water supply and sanitation Technology Platform (WssTP) and the inclusion of the science, technology and innovation theme for the upcoming 7th World Water Forum in 2015. The discussion on how to foster innovation, however, is still characterized by an absence of robust data analysis across Europe.

Still, Europe is acclaimed to be a leader in water-related knowledge, technology and innovation but in general, the water ‘sector' has the image of being less dynamic and innovative than other sectors. According to Ipektsidis etal. (2014) aggregated figures of innovation and R&D intensity in the water sector are significantly lower compared to other sectors, the sector is highly consolidated, with a few large firms dominating the national European markets, and with stagnated employment over the last decade. These characteristics are typical for sectors that are traditional, with a low innovation rate, focussing on process and incremental innovation, thus implying that the sector lacks innovation dynamism.

A recent study by theOECD (2014)on the invention and international diffusion of water quantity-related technologies based on patent data found that: i) although innovation activity in water-related technologies has been increasing over the last two decades, the growth in such technologies over the last two decades has been disproportionately concentrated on supply-side technologies; 2) over 70% of innovation worldwide happens in countries with low or moderate vulnerability towards water scarcity, implying that (with the exception of Australia, Spain and Israel), countries with severe water issues do not appear to specialize in water-related technologies; and 3) some countries with large water resources, such as Switzerland or Norway, nevertheless appear as significant markets for water-efficiency technologies.

A previous study on water pollution abatement and control technologies identified (including wastewater treatment techniques - primary (mechanical), secondary (biological) and tertiary (chemical) treatment technologies) showed that Germany and the US have historically been the major innovators, with Japan taking the lead more recently. Moreover, it noted that the rate of growth of this type of innovation in Korea and especially in China had increased, four-fold during the period 1999-2004, in contrast with the developments elsewhere, with patent counts for most of the large innovating countries actually decreased (OECD, 2011).

We argue that these aggregated statistics may not be capturing the actual dynamics of water innovation. To begin with, non-R&D innovation, i.e. innovation that is not measured in terms of R&D and/or patents, is not included. Yet field experience suggests that many incremental technological as well as non-technological innovations are happening (e.g.NEA, 2014). According to the European Commission's Innovation Union Competitiveness report, water innovation dynamics are less driven by market demand and competitiveness and more by regulation and social and environmental factors (European Commission, 2014; p.275). Moreover, the European Innovation Platform on Water has identified a number of barriers and obstacles that are perceived to hamper water-related innovations and has prioritized them into the following categories: a lack of funding and financial flows for innovation into the sector (as is the case for many other sectors), b. risk aversion, c. lack of demonstration sites, d. inconsistencies and fragmentation of policies and regulations, e. sector fragmentation in terms of responsibilities and resulting conflicts, and f. conservative procurement procedures restricting innovative solutions (EIP Water 2014). Similarly, an online platform focusing on innovation in the water and construction sector in the Netherlands identified bottlenecks such as risk aversion, legislation and regulations (culture and procedures), competencies and scattered knowledge, a focus on return on investment, a lack of urgency as well as missing room for experiments. Next to diverse case studies, the platform also provides a learning environment on how to overcome barriers to innovation. Yet neither of these two approaches (the online platform and the EIP Water) has relied on a sound scientific approach for identifying bottlenecks and barriers as well as opportunities for water innovation. Although, the figures and experiences detailed in the foregoing references to the European landscape, based upon several sources from international organizations, report similar trends in other parts of the world (e.g.OECD, 2012andADB (Asian Development Bank), 2013).

Relevant theoretical bodies of literature, i.e. studies of innovation systems and the diffusion of innovations, have covered many (competitive) industrial and manufacturing sectors to examine the multitude of factors that affect innovation (e.g.Montalvo, 2006andEtzkowitz, 2003). However, with a few limited exceptions (e.g.Hegger etal., 2011,Krozeretal., 2010,Lobina, 2012,Peuckert, 2012,Mvulirwenande., 2013,Wehn, 2014andPartzsch, 2009), this body of knowledge has not yet included water-related research. Partly this is also due to the predominantly sectoral focus of such studies. Defining ‘the water sector' is problematic and has been questioned by prominent institutions (e.g.UNESCO, 2012). This is also evident by various sector classifications that typically define water supply (and sanitation) in detail (e.g. NACE, SIC) but refer to other water-related activities (e.g. irrigation, hydropower, river transport, flood defenses) to other classifications (such as agriculture, energy and transport). Moreover, activities regarding resilience to water-related disasters are absorbed (and thus hidden) under humanitarian aid.

The cross-cutting nature of water as well as the urgent need to address the water-related challenges means that a discourse about water innovations is required to better inform and support the generation and diffusion of water innovations. The intention of this Special Volume is to bring innovation to the forefront of water studies and education, and, to examine how the generation, diffusion, adoption and use of such innovations can be fostered. This Special Volume will be a first effort to integrate the emerging insights regarding water-related innovations, both technological and other forms of innovations. As such, it presents an important advance in the effort to bridge water- and innovation-related research. The coherence of the papers in this Special Volume will stem from the fact that the papers will be drawing on the established literatures and theories in the field of innovation studies and applying them to the study of water innovation.

Source: Science Direct

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