The document summarizes three observations about trends in clean technology adoption: 1. Many emerging trends like crowdsourcing, 3D printing, and urban farming will indirectly promote sustainability by reducing transportation and resource needs. While individual impacts are small, collectively they will significantly impact global sustainability. 2. Companies are increasingly making sustainability a core part of their strategies, both out of their own initiative because it makes business sense, and in response to social pressures. This shows sustainability practices becoming a business necessity. 3. Sustainable innovation will likely come more from developing countries in Africa and Asia, as well as grassroots efforts everywhere, as people worldwide seek solutions to climate change impacts. Many small-scale examples already exist,

1. Trends in clean tech (adoption)
Intro speech for a debate at University of Leuven
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frederic@i4fi.com
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Instituteforfutureinsights
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The sources of the pictures used in this presentation are
mentioned in the notes of each slide

2. trends we can be
relatively certain of:
trends that are taking shape but
future impact relatively uncertain:
DEMOGRAPHIC
a tiny bit
speculative:
TECHNOLOGY/ SCIENCE
• aging population
• increasing world population
• genY/Milennials
• urbanization/geographic mobility
• multi-ethnic society
• new migration patterns
• widening gap rich-poor
• ubiquitous computing
• disintermediation
• crowdsourcing
• social Media
• SaaS, DIY
• cloud Computing
• consumerization
• augmented reality
• 3D/ bioprinting
• enhanced humans
• NBIC technologies
• biomimicry
BUSINESS TRENDS
SUSTAINABILITY
• global warming
• scarcity of resources
• energy dependency
• declining biodiversity
• green technologies
• urban farming
• eco activism/terrorism
• shared value (CSR)
• social Entrepreneurship
• cause marketing
• social business
• open innovation
• crowdsourcing
GEOPOLITICS
CONSUMER
• mass customization
• social/ group buying
• radical transparency
•sustainable/ethical buying
SOCIETY
• dematerialization
• digitization
• decentralization
• gamification
• virtualization
• new business models
• talent shortage
• boundary blurring
• digital divide
• power shift to East
• globalization 3.0
• rising middle class
• trade blocs and unions
• thetrade blocs and unions
• Market State
• Virtual Market State
• the currencies
• ‘opting out’
• Generation Z

3. 3 observations with regard of clean techs
and sustainability

4. Observation #1: Many trends will indirectly
affect our sustainable future

5. Crowdsourcing, open innovation, social buying,
(etc) are shrinking the size of corporations

6. 3D printing will reduce the need for global
transport, big warehouses and (dirty) factories!

7. Big companies are joining:
The sharing economy is getting real, and
even established brands are joining

8. Urban farming makes both economic and
ecological sense

9. Conclusion?
None of these trends will have a
huge impact on global
sustainability until they reach a
certain threshold… However,
these trends are already
happening, and growing fast...
Sooner or later their (global)
impact will be felt.

10. 2# Companies increasingly put
sustainability at the core of their strategy

11. Own initiative
Imposed by society
What really drives companies to
sustainable practices…
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

12. Own initiative
‘major opportunity’
‘must do’s’
Imposed by society
‘good to do’
‘major threat’
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

13. Own initiative
Imposed by society
Legal framework
Ethical behavior
Diversity
Social inclusion
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

14. Imposed by society
Own initiative
‘Give back to the community’
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

15. Own initiative
Imposed by society
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

16. Own initiative
Imposed by society
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

17. Imposed by society
Own initiative
Social entrepreneurs
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

18. Own initiative
Imposed by society
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

19. Own initiative
Imposed by society
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

20. Own initiative
Imposed by society
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

21. Own initiative
Clean techs at the core
of corporate strategy
Imposed by society
(cost reduction; efficiency
gains; customer loyalty;
competitive differentiator; …)
Impacts business environment
Frederic De Meyer @ i4fi
Impacts core business

22. Conclusion?
Many companies in many
industries will be driven to
sustainable and social practices
because it makes perfect business
sense (not because it’s
fashionable).

23. Observation #3 Clean tech innovation will
increasingly be ‘bottom-up’

24. Why sustainability innovation will likely
come from Africa & Asia

25. Improved cooking stoves reduce CO2
emission and deforestation

26. …as does solar cooking

27. Water-based light bulbs bring light in the
homes of poor

28. Four Nigerian girls create Pee-powered
energy generator

29. Fourteen year old invents solar-powered
water purification system

30. But ‘western’ people are pretty inventive
too…

31. The reason? Climate change will impact the
Western world as well…

32. The reason? Climate change will impact the
Western world as well…

33. How to heat your room with 4 candle lights

34. This guy teaches you how to make bio-plastics

35. This girl invented a flash light that runs of the
warmth of your hand

36. Conclusion?
While each by itself none of these
‘clean tech’ examples will change
the face of the earth, taken
together they might be an
indication of people taking
sustainability matters in their
own hands (instead of relying on
big companies or governments).

37. 3 observations with regard of clean techs
and sustainability
• Many trends will indirectly affect sustainability
and the adoption of clean techs
• Companies put sustainability at the core of their
strategy
• Sustainable innovation is increasingly coming
from bottom-up

38. …let’s debate…
@fdemeyer
frederic@i4fi.com
fredericdemeyer.com
Instituteforfutureinsights
fdemeyer