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Abstract: Recently, the Norwegian authorities have established a number of Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (CEER), intended to develop new knowledge, foster breakthrough technology and promote innovation in order to solve specific challenges in the field of energy and environment. The expectation is that these heterogeneous, multipartner research consortia will lead to excellent academic performance and at the same time, that the new knowledge is of such nature that it can be exploited for practical and commercial purposes. This paper suggests that the adoption of two concepts of knowledge production, denoting knowledge produced in an academic context and in a context of application, respectively. These concepts, referred to as Mode 1 and Mode 2 knowledge production, open up for insight and implications about the challenges inherent in the CEER scheme. Our key argument is that in order to move our understanding of innovation in heterogeneous research collaborations, research efforts should be seen as concurrent processes of problem solving around scientific and practical problems. The main management challenge identified is the need to perform well as a manager of basic research and at the same time, lay the groundwork for innovation, that is, to lead according to differing expectations. Our claims are based on an empirical example, drawn on the CEER Centre BIGCCS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the innovation process in four Norwegian companies, all supplying the automotive industry with light weight structural components. Twelve representative product projects are categorized, together with people from product development in respective companies, according to product and process novelty. The main contribution from this study is twofold; first, a new framework and index for categorizing innovation across product and process newness is developed, second, putting empirical data into the framework demonstrates that product and process uniqueness does not seem to be dependent on amount of resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The transition to more sustainable business requires comprehensive transformations of business models, and such innovation can benefit from business experimentation for sustainability (BES). In this paper, we investigate BES in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). The aim of our study is to investigate how a reiterative BES process can inform the design of more sustainable business models. Specifically, we experiment with greener value propositions, to reveal relevant barriers and strategic interventions to overcome them. In three interrelated studies conducted in collaboration with Norway's largest FMCG company Orkla, we investigate a BES process on refill-based business models for cleaning products, which are aimed at plastic reduction. We investigate consumer acceptance of such sustainable solutions in a focus group (study 1), drivers and barriers associated with the adoption of these solutions in a large-scale survey (study 2), and interventions aimed at overcoming relevant barriers for adoption in an online survey experiment (study 3). Our findings shed light on how BES can reveal actionable insights for business model innovation, related to (1) systematic barriers that need to be overcome to stimulate the adoption of more sustainable solutions, and (2) to behavioural interventions that can facilitate green consumption. Our empirical investigation thus contributes to the understanding of how reiterative BES can drive the transition to more sustainable business models. • Business experimentation can drive the transition to sustainable business models. • We conduct experimentation on plastic reduction with a large consumer goods firm. • Three studies reveal barriers for novel solutions, and how barriers may be overcome. • Communicating environmental and safety aspects made the solutions more attractive. • Experimentation with value propositions can thus inform business model design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]