International Conference on Transforming Emerging Economies through Sustainability and Innovations in Business

Innovations, espoused as creative destruction by Joseph Schumpeter, have immensely helped many successful corporations in creating and sustaining value for their stakeholders. Product innovations usually help corporations with their top line, while process innovations help improve their bottom lines; however understanding the 'product' of innovation and the 'process' of innovation requires one to transcend the limitations imposed by top and bottom line. Research and development spending is critical in facilitating innovation. Nonetheless bigger R& D spending need not necessarily translate into higher innovation as suggested by a recent PWC report. This suggests the existence of large number of other factors at the society, industry, firm, SBU, and team level which can augment innovation and promote sustainability.

Over the last few years, there has been an increased focus on sustainability of business practices across the world.  Taking cue from deterioration in present quality of life and potential dangers associated with unwise use of natural resources to future generations, careful use of natural resources have become a central theme of discussion in board rooms and policy making bodies. Many Governments across the globe have mandated sustainability practices for the industries to conserve natural resources and the environment. While businesses in mature economies have been spearheading the initiatives on sustainability, the social, political, and economic challenges faced by businesses have arrested the pace of such initiatives in the emerging economies. Albeit the general awareness of overall benefits of sustainability there is much to be desired on proper understanding of a business case of sustainable practices in emerging economies.Sustainable Businesses offers a hope for economic growth along with achieving social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthening governance. Innovation is inevitable for sustainability especially in developing economies. Innovations in industrial ecology and eco efficiency are dominant concepts that can transform emerging nations.

Institute of Management, Christ University, Bengaluru, India and The Master Sustainable Development and Organizations/Paris-Dauphine University, Paris, France will be jointly organizing the conference to bring together academia, senior practitioners, policy makers and entrepreneurs to discuss the challenges of attracting, establishing and managing sustainable businesses through innovation in the emerging economies. The conference is expected to bring the understanding and best practices on sustainability and innovations from the mature economies which could help in providing guidelines to businesses in emerging economies.