Prof. Paul Coughlan
Figure 1: 29th IPMC 2022 Logo
The 29th Innovation & Product Development Management Conference took place at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Germany on 17-20 July 2022. Organised by the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM), the theme this year was "Innovation in the Era of Climate Change". The conference aim was to provide space for discussion of opportunities and challenges faced by companies and researchers when innovating for sustainability.
The programme included a session on New Methods for Innovation Research. During this session, Dŵr Uisce team member Prof. Paul Coughlan of Trinity Business School presented a paper titled “Researching Green Process Innovation Across Borders and Boundaries: Implementing a Transdisciplinary Research Initiative”.
Given the nature of the topic, all of the Dŵr Uisce research team members contributed to the paper. The lead authors included Paul Coughlan, Roberta Bellini, Aisha Bollo-Dambatta, Daniele Novara and Isabel Schestak. The idea for the paper emerged during fruitful discussions among team members that led us to realise that our collaboration was characterised by crossing discipline and geographical boundaries and working with a network of practitioners and society at large.
Figure 2: Opening slide of Prof Coughlan’s presentation
Said differently, we were carrying out transdisciplinary research. This approach to research is quite appropriate for research-based responses to the Sustainable Development Goals. However, there are few descriptions of how to undertake such research. In response, the paper drew upon our shared experience of realising Dŵr Uisce as a green process innovation, and described and conceptualised the process we undertook to implement this transdisciplinary research initiative.
Before the conference, the team introduced the paper in a brief video. At the conference, the presentation received positive feedback and prompted insightful questions around the differences between transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, evidence of disciplinary engagement and the skills and experiences of the practitioners in the project network. On September 15 next, the paper will be presented to students participating the CHARM EU Masters in Global Challenges for Sustainability, which is delivered by Trinity College Dublin, the University of Barcelona, Utrecht University, the University of Montpellier and Eotvos Lorand University Budapest. Subsequently, a journal article submission is planned.
Figure 3: Prof. Paul Coughlan (right) with IPDMC 2022 Conference Co-Chair, Prof. Dr. Hans Koller, Professur für Betriebswirtschaftslehre, insbesondere Technologie- und Innovationsmanagement, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, Hamburg, Germany