Evaluation of sustainable competitiveness through innovation

Authors

  • Nuno Martins Cavaco UNIDEMI – Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
  • Virgilio Cruz Machado UNIDEMI – Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6977/IJoSI.201809_5(2).0002

Abstract

Clients’ continuous expectation increase and the need to be ahead of competitors, cause a huge pressure in companies and aggressiveness into markets. Due to this fact, companies’ need to be in permanent change to gain competitiveness. One way to achieve this aim is through innovation. But the question is How? Where to innovate? Innovation at any cost? What kind of impacts should be expected? Is it possible to evaluate companies’ innovation skills and stablish a relation with outcomes? This paper provides a model that contributes to competitive advantage creation through innovation integrating concerns about sustainability, based on the triple bottom line principles. Therefore, the model promotes innovation preserving a balance between economic, social and environmental results.  The model is based on 7 competitiveness drivers, which include all key factors of a company, and allow the evaluation of companies’ resources to be innovative, taking into account requirements structured in 8 proficiency levels. Additionally, the model allow the evaluation of the companies’ competitive advantage, considering innovation indicators, related to each competitiveness driver. This evaluation promotes another perspective of companies’ innovation capability, as well as the identification of opportunities to improvements, concerning the areas where companies have lower scores regarding innovation resources and results. This model, in this perspective is an added value tool, once it allows a more focused approach about innovation priorities, taking into account that innovation cannot be just considered “product innovation” and the fact that there are a lot of other aspects in an organization that have influence on it.

 

Keywords: Strategic planning, competitiveness, sustainability, innovation, evaluation

Author Biographies

Nuno Martins Cavaco, UNIDEMI – Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

About 18 years of professional experience in business consulting. University lecturer with extensive experience as a trainer. Researcher in sustainable competitiveness and strategic monitoring. Solid knowledge of private and public sector (central government, local and State Business Sector) and (in various industries and services). Expertise in operational efficiency, e-procurement, cost reduction, strategic and operational monitoring, organizational optimization models and quality management / sustainability. Business management skills (financial, commercial, operational and human). Strong customer orientation / Market; Strong focus on results and management by objectives; Leading and mobilizing teams / change; critical sense, pro-activity and creativity / innovation.

Virgilio Cruz Machado, UNIDEMI – Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

V. Cruz Machado holds a Ph.D. in CIM (Cranfield University, UK). He is a full professor of Industrial Engineering at Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal. He is the director of the Industrial Engineering Doctoral Program and other post-graduate programs in entrepreneurship, industrial engineering, project and lean management. He teaches operations and production management and has published more than 200 papers in scientific journals and conferences, in addition to having supervised more than thirty Ph.D. students. His main scientific activities are directed to the design of systematic innovation and lean supply chains. He is the president of UNIDEMI (R&D Unit in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering) and the president of the IIE Portugal Chapter.

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Published

2018-08-31 — Updated on 2020-04-17

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Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2018): International Journal of Systematic Innovation

Section

Regular full papers

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