Innovation

Healthcare innovation for safety and sustainability

Szilvia Szabó — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:05:07 +0000

Healthcare innovation for safety and sustainability

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Healtcare

Responsible Innovation

Sustainable Business

Topic

Responsible Innovation

When you enter a hospital, you expect immaculate cleanness and high levels of hygiene.

In spite of the best efforts of medical facilities to meet this expectation, one of the most often overlooked elements is the mattresses on which patients are lying.

While you are waiting to be treated or, in the best-case scenario, on the way to recovery, you wouldn`t think of getting infected by spending most of your time in bed.

Michael Sullivan, Founder and CEO of NUA Medical, shines a light on the fact that one in five people contract healthcare-related infections during their stay in hospitals or other care facilities.

He explains that due to extra pressure, limited blood flow and specific microclimate around the skin, patients are more likely to face some unwanted consequences of lying on foam mattresses used by health institutions.

Michael adds:

“The cleaning process of foam mattresses is not adequate for the 21st century, and foam and bacteria go well together. Typically, they are inspected visually and wiped out to clear them, which leads to low infection control.”

Michael Sullivan, Founder and CEO of NUA Medical

He notes that besides the medical aspects, foam mattresses are adding to the growing waste problem since they cannot be recycled, and 60% of them are thrown out after the first use.

About 120 foam mattresses are dumped into landfills weekly in Ireland, which is equivalent to approximately 6000 items annually - equal to the height of Carrantuohill, the highest mountain in Ireland at 1,038.6 metres - causing 230 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

As an engineer with over 25 years of experience working in the healthcare industry researching, designing, manufacturing and distributing cutting-edge pressure relief products, he decided to challenge the status quo.

“We are born on foam and die on foam. But it is a dirty product. Would you lie down and sleep on a mattress that has been used by sick people before you? Normally, you wouldn`t.”

He searched for a better alternative and came up with the NEST® innovative product line designed to prevent and treat pressure ulcers and injuries. It can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and made of 100% recyclable material.

"A very important aspect of our success has been the strategy of listening to medical professionals in Ireland, the EU and the US who provided us with insight and advice that we took back to the laboratory test centres and beta customers that allowed us to fast track the end product.”

The NEST® innovative product line was designed to prevent and treat pressure ulcers and injuries. It can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and made of 100% recyclable material. Image: NUA Medical

The first prototype of the mattress came out in 2018, and their current medical pressure relieving mattress and cushion solutions were launched early in 2022. Their products combine three key factors: pressure relief, infection control and minimal environmental impact.

Considering its features, it seems like the ideal solution to reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections and be kinder to the environment, but getting institutions to switch from the traditional approach has been an uphill battle.

“We needed hard evidence to change the system and have a strong business case to convince decision-makers,” Michael shares, emphasising that a mindset shift is essential.

Putting sustainability on the procurement criteria list is one of the essential steps that can level the playing field for businesses like NUA Medical to thrive and bring forward innovative and sustainable solutions.

“A big win for us was when HSE understood the benefits of making changes in their system. However, we had to convince them that by choosing an alternative, they could save money and save the planet.

Environmental factors might not be the top priority for these organisations, but with recent EU and national regulations, carbon management has become an issue.”

Since the NEST® mattress production means 70% less carbon emissions compared to traditional mattresses and is fully recyclable, it makes it a more conscious choice for achieving carbon reduction targets.

After HSE adopted changes in its procurement guidelines, Michael and his team won a game-changing contract to become a supplier to the Children`s Hospital in Dublin.

It was a special moment for him as he also has kids and can easily relate to the challenges families must face at the hospital.

“Knowing that we are here helping prevent infections on top of their hassle is an extraordinary added value to what we are doing.”

But to move towards their mission, their solution needed to be backed with a robust business case.

“Once decision-makers replace short-term goals with long-term benefits, that`s when sustainable products stand a better chance on the market. Of course, you need to have an ironclad business model that proves its worth.”

Michael adds that it is not an easy road, so you must have passion besides professional skills.

He is committed to banishing foam mattresses for good from healthcare facilities, saying that besides their efforts to prove their points, authorities need to go beyond guidelines and change legislation.

Now, they are looking at opportunities to expand their business in Ireland and internationally, raising awareness and making a positive impact on patients' lives and the environment.

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Accelerating innovation through enterprise-student collaboration in Dublin

Szilvia Szabó — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 11:41:41 +0000

Accelerating innovation through enterprise-student collaboration in Dublin

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The award-winning ENFUSE program led by Dublin City Council (DCC) and Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Dublin City is open for applications to match local enterprises and social enterprises with teams of Master’s university and college students in Dublin.

During the spring 2024 semester, teams of students will work with selected enterprises to provide insights, propose solutions, and ultimately present a bespoke and tangible plan that sets out how the enterprise can innovate, address challenges, and develop opportunities.

Student teams can assist participating enterprises with various topics ranging from strategy, marketing, and design thinking to finance, data analysis and machine learning.

Steve O'Reilly, communication manager at The Rediscovery Centre, the National Centre for the Circular Economy in Ireland, participated in the program in 2023 by providing a communication challenge to students.

He highlighted that “taking part in ENFUSE helped us think outside the box, provided us with a framework for how to translate theory into publicity, and shaped our marketing for the years to come.”

“With ingenuity, creativity, and flair, the fantastic team of students devised an intelligent marketing campaign that translates a complex topic into something that will really resonate with our target.”

The overall objective of the ENFUSE program is to support local enterprises by providing bespoke plans to innovate, address challenges and develop opportunities while providing Master’s students with real-world experience and enhancing the local innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Businesses can benefit from new ideas at no extra cost with extra promotional opportunities, screen potential future employees from the student teams, and avail financial support to employ graduates.

“I highly recommend businesses to participate. It keeps businesses in touch with emerging trends and fresh thinking from the students and allows students to gain live experience with businesses in their community,”

said Kate O'Moore from MAKER, a previous participant of ENFUSE.

The application is open to enterprises, social enterprises, and entrepreneurs primarily based in Dublin, with consideration given also to enterprises based outside Dublin.

The submission deadline is 23:59, 18th of January 2024, through an online application platform.

Shortlisted student teams can also compete at the ENFUSE finals in May, where teams can represent their university and compete by pitching to expert judges on the plan they created for their assigned enterprise.

Greg Swift, head of LEO Dublin City, adds that the competition allows the LEO to "tangibly support local enterprises and also promote the benefits of hiring graduate students who are well placed to support the digital and green transitions, amongst other challenges a business may face”.

ENFUSE final student pitch session 2023 at the Wood Quay Venue, Dublin. Image: Dublin City Council

ENFUSE began in 2019 and has gone from strength to strength since. Involving more universities and colleges, its impact has increased as more enterprises, students and project partners have participated and benefited.

The program was selected as a National Winner in the European Commission’s - European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) 2022 under category 3, which recognises innovative projects and approaches that improve the business environment and support the digital transition.

In addition, ENFUSE was shortlisted as an overall EEPA European finalist project and shortlisted at Chambers Ireland - Excellence in Local Government Awards 2022 in the category of Promoting Economic Development.

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The role of sustainable innovation in business strategy

Bronagh Loughlin — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:14:34 +0000

The role of sustainable innovation in business strategy

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Sustainable Innovation

Sustainable Business

Sustainability

Climate Innovation

Topic

Sustainable Innovation

Innovation, by definition, is “the introduction of something new.” The new refers to products and services but also enhancements in business models or business processes. Sustainable innovation, driven by concern for the planet and resources, integrates sustainability management into business practices.

What is sustainable innovation, and how does it differ from traditional innovation?

Sustainable innovation consists of making intentional alterations to an organisation’s services, processes, and products to create long-term environmental and social benefits while ensuring economic profits for the business.

This kind of innovation allows companies to invent and provide novel services or products that directly contribute to achieving global sustainability.

However, businesses can also innovate sustainably while providing existing services or products when they integrate sustainable product design into their processes.

Process changes can happen in a multitude of areas, including production, design, marketing, and human resources. Some may ponder exactly how sustainable innovation differs from traditional innovation. The first way they differ may be the most obvious.

Businesses that engage in sustainable innovation go further than merely seeking profits. They think of growth in the long term and about investing in people and technology-for-purpose for the future.

Sustainable innovation intentionally aims to further the climate agenda. It requires organisations to actively embed issues like climate change and human rights into their innovation processes.

Finally, sustainable innovations need systems thinking and sustainable collaboration. When businesses engage in sustainable innovation, they cannot simply focus on their own business. Rather, they must look more broadly at the entire system they are part of.

This includes other businesses, stakeholders and communities, and the natural environment. Ultimately, they have a quality understanding of exactly how their actions impact other businesses.

Why is sustainable innovation important for businesses?

Sustainability-oriented companies are more likely to survive and navigate crises, generate more revenue over the long run, and experience less share price volatility than those who do not focus on the environment.

Sustainable innovation can result in stronger business models, enhanced processes, newer market segments and so much more. It also helps to respond to consumer demand for more sustainable products and services.

A Deloitte survey has uncovered personal ethics play a significant role in career choices, and many are suited to work with purpose-driven organisations. In addition, businesses that care about the environment are generally more resilient compared to their competitors.

Those businesses that do focus on sustainability also have a better chance to produce more impactful and meaningful patents while embracing a broader thinking and learn from various perspectives.

How can sustainable innovation help the world?

Sustainable innovation embeds environmental protection in the ability to create new products which satisfy our needs in the long term.

Business as usual is no longer enough to tackle the environmental and social challenges our world faces. From large multinationals to micro-enterprises, all companies will have to innovate in order to survive and thrive in the future.

New thinking on how businesses can deliver primary business plans while creating improved socioeconomic and environmental benefits is a must for any organisation looking to become genuinely sustainable and ensure their place on the market.

Innovation is a critical ingredient in the new world of sustainability. It helps in distinguishing between the ‘followers’ and the ‘leaders’.

The business case for sustainability was previously based around business-as-usual elements like reputation, accessing a fantastic talent pool, cost savings, and resource efficiency.

However, leading organisations realise that within these environmental challenges, there are opportunities to re-invent services and products to achieve major market benefits.

Now, those who innovate sustainably can enhance energy efficiency, utilise more environmentally friendly materials, meet customer needs and alter behaviour, and get involved in the circular economy.

With all of this in mind, they can kickstart their journey to net zero, a transition all companies are bound to make sooner rather than later.

Developing a sustainability strategy

Below are some strategies and steps to help you get started.

Make sure you have achievable and clear goals and objectives

Sustainability has excellent potential to bring about business growth and success. However, this is only the case if you know what your specific objectives are.

Similarly, they must also be achievable for your organisation. You can do this by looking at the areas whereby your environmental impact could need some work and set timelines for those objectives.

Having these ideas will enable you to narrow down the scope of innovative ideas. This means you prevent the likelihood of vague and unclear initiatives, and you can meet your goals.

Make sustainability your company’s core value

This one is often a lot easier said than done, but everything your company does should adhere to a core value of sustainability. Making sustainability part of your culture will ensure that each decision you make already considers the ethical and environmental impacts of your actions.

Each manager, leader and employee needs to be aware of sustainable practices and ready to provide ideas.

The result of this is an expansion of your existing culture of innovation which will ultimately weave an environmental mindset into each new idea.

Be sure to make a public commitment to sustainability and leverage this

Dedicating your business to sustainability is not easy. Prioritising and reaching goals related to sustainability can be even more challenging. One of the reasons why commitments generally fail is because they are met with stakeholder resistance. A lot of the time, when given a choice, they would rather choose business objectives than sustainability targets.

This is particularly the case if these targets are unrealistic, vague, or they feel a lack of executive support. By making a public commitment to sustainability with clear targets, you make the first steps in being accountable. Publicly showing this dedication can open up a lot of opportunities for you to attract new customers, engage with current ones, and improve your bottom line.

By doing so, you also set the stage for the full company, encouraging and guiding each team member and stakeholder to focus their efforts on sustainability.

Sustainability should be part of each process

Another thing to note is that environmental practices do not just begin once a product is launched when the final idea is created or presented. Rather, it must be woven into each theme of innovation ideation and each facet of design from the moment of inception.

If you feel sustainability targets are an afterthought as opposed to a core part of every workflow and design, you could find it challenging to achieve them all.

Consider how hard it is, once the product is launched, to transform even the tiniest things like packaging. Sustainability should be thought about from the very beginning.

The time for businesses to take accountability and act is now, and sustainable innovation could be the missing piece to the puzzle. Sustainable innovation will not only enable your business to reap the benefits of sustainable business but also enhance efforts on global sustainability goals.

The key to progress with any problems is innovation and with the climate crisis, it is no different. For your business to succeed, it needs a thriving Earth to support it.

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Can AI help tackle the carbon challenge?

Bronagh Loughlin — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:00:57 +0000

Can AI help tackle the carbon challenge?

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Carbon Management

Carbon Offsetting

Topic

Carbon Management

As technology continues to advance, AI is something people are increasingly embracing. It is already taking over automating repetitive tasks, enhancing productivity, and freeing up human resources.

With its potential in mind, it poses the question of whether it can also help us tackle the carbon challenge.

Firstly, it can contribute to optimising our energy consumption and reducing waste through AI-driven smart grid management, allowing us to achieve both goals.

These technologies include advanced data processing, communication, sensing, and control.

With AI, smart grid management can analyse real-time data from various sources to predict energy demands and detect patterns more accurately.

Smart grids also manage distributed energy resources such as energy storage systems and solar panels to balance the grid and prevent potential blackouts or overloads. Image: Unsplash

It could also be easier to optimise the allocation of energy resources to prevent waste and ensure supply meets demand.

AI can also optimise the deployment and operation of renewable energy systems by analysing weather patterns, maximising output, and forecasting energy generation so we can drive a stable energy supply.

Adopting Artificial Intelligence can also optimise the design and operation of carbon capture technologies to drive their cost-effectiveness and efficiency while also playing a crucial role in monitoring and predicting emissions.

Additionally, these advanced technologies can arrange to collect data from operations, including activities like IT equipment and corporate travel, and every part of the value chain, from securing materials from suppliers to downstream users of their products.

Leveraging AI in carbon management has great potential.

For instance, data analytics and predictive algorithms can help companies better understand and manage their energy usage, transportation, and manufacturing processes to model and measure their Scope 1 and 2 emissions accurately.

According to a study by the European Union, the use of AI and machine learning in energy management systems could result in energy savings of up to 15% in commercial buildings.

AI-driven applications can also contribute to managing Scope 3 emissions through supply chains by optimising connections and material usage between different stakeholders.

Experimental projects are looking at implementing blockchain-based carbon tracking systems.

Putting more effort into using predictive analytics is also an area of interest since it can model future carbon emissions and identify potential areas of improvement.

It means that based on previous data and patterns, AI can present different carbon footprint scenarios, allowing decision-makers to choose the one that best fits their strategic goals.

Some of the practical applications of AI-driven solutions can be found in the property market. Since most of the buildings that will be standing in 2050 are already built, decarbonising existing buildings is critical.

London-based company Mortar IO uses automated digital audits to help organisations comprehend how to achieve net zero for entire real estate portfolios in a matter of minutes rather than months.

A start-up, Eugenie.ai, with offices in the US and India, also uses AI's power to drive sustainable development through an emission intelligence platform created to help manufacturers in sectors such as oil, mining, metal, and gas decarbonise their operations.

Start-ups are not the only ones leveraging AI to tackle the carbon challenge.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is also utilising AI to help analyse and predict the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, besides assessing changes in glacier mass and rising sea levels.

The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) is another tool used by the United Nations that uses AI to mitigate and monitor methane emissions.

On the other hand, experts and researchers warn that using AI has its own environmental footprint that cannot be overlooked.

Empowering the process of training AI and using it on a large scale requires a lot of energy, and global companies like Microsoft refuse to share relevant information regarding resources used in powering AI solutions.

Swedish researcher Anders Andrae has forecasted that data centres could account for 10 per cent of total electricity use by 2025.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, found the training process for a single AI model can emit more than 626,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, which is about the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as 62.6 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for a year.

Ultimately, AI’s strength in helping us tackle the carbon challenge lies in its ability to learn by experience, collect massive amounts of data from its environment, recommend appropriate actions, and make connections that humans often fail to notice.

While it can be used as a tool to help us in our fight, it does still come at a cost to the planet since using these tools also has a notable carbon footprint.

Therefore, before we jump to AI as the ultimate solution to all our carbon problems, we must look at all aspects of its overall societal and environmental potential impact.

Headline image: Getty Images

This article is published in collaboration with the Profit with Purpose Magazine.

To read more insights regarding carbon management, you can download the latest digital edition of the magazine that further explores topics such as carbon offsetting, regulations and more.

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Using tech for transparency in fashion

Bronagh Loughlin — Thu, 18 May 2023 13:26:02 +0000

Using tech for transparency in fashion

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Clothing and textiles are a fundamental part of our everyday lives and a vital sector within the global economy.

However, our current means of making, consuming, wearing, and discarding clothing is evidently no longer working. According to Business Wire, sustainability is rated as a vital purchase criterion for 60 per cent of consumers across the globe while they are demanding transparency from brands and looking for green credentials.

However, according to the Fashion Revolution 2022 Fashion Transparency Index, 50 per cent of the world’s biggest fashion companies disclose little or no information about their supply chain.

Only 12 per cent of fashion brands across the globe offer information concerning their raw material suppliers.

Without transparency, shoppers struggle to assess a brand’s environmental and social footprints and determine whether its statements are genuine or greenwashing.

What could bridge the transparency gap between eco-conscious consumers and fashion brands?

Can it be as simple as a QR code?

An Irish start-up, Ecode, thought so when they came up with the idea to empower consumers through their app to scan, learn, get rewards, connect, repair, recycle, and ultimately, change fashion.

Ecode was founded by three students, Elise Vens, Emmet Lowry and Nathan Gaborieau.

The three met during their Master’s in Sustainability at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), where they extensively studied the fashion supply chain's detrimental social and environmental effects.

Ecode founders Elise Vens, Emmet Lowry and Nathan Gaborieau.

They make an international team as Elise is from The Netherlands, Nathan is from France, and Emmet is Irish.

Elise Vens, Co-Founder of Ecode, explains how their initial idea took off: “We immediately pinpointed circularity as the driver of change and started working on a tool that would give shoppers more insight into what they're buying while empowering the consumer to be an actor of the change.

We realised this greatly benefits fashion brands in determining the lifespan of their items and increasing their products’ durability.

By gaining insight into these life cycles, Ecode has the power to help brands monitor their CSR improvements. Hence, our slogan became ‘enabling circularity in fashion’.”

In November 2021, the Ecode team participated in Trinity’s Provost Challenge, a three-day hackathon whereby students were challenged to ideate and develop a business idea where they came second.

Speaking on why they chose to focus on fashion specifically, Elise says: “For one of our courses, we had the opportunity to research the social and environmental impact of the fashion industry.

We were shocked to find out that this industry is the second-largest polluter on earth after the oil industry. A few weeks later, Trinity’s Provost Challenge was announced with the theme ‘How do you combat fast fashion?’.

We immediately realised this was our cue and submitted our idea for Ecode. Ecode can fundamentally change the fashion industry for the better, from a linear consumption towards a circular model of doing business.

We’ve recognised that the barrier to transformation is frequently not a lack of will but rather a lack of accessibility and connections between actors.”

Ecode`s solution is based on using QR codes in fashion items to increase transparency and circularity. Image: unsplash

Elis adds: “Ecode aims to integrate the entire landscape of actors in circularity. We connect stakeholders such as brands, consumers, recyclers, repairers, and resellers.

Ecode is not only offering a QR code, but an entire ecosystem that can collectively create change by interacting with one another, bringing the option of circularity to everyone’s doorstep.”

Afterwards, they decided to apply for Trinity’s LaunchBox Student Accelerator 2022 and were awarded the first prize, which provided immense validation for their project. In January of 2023, they received the Acting for the Environment Prize from Enactus France, an international social entrepreneurship project presentation competition for university students.

Currently, their biggest challenge is developing a BETA version of their application that can be replicated and quickly implemented in different companies to kickstart their revolution towards circularity in fashion. However, the team plans to overcome this hurdle and has big hopes for the project’s application.

Elise explains their plans further:

“Our goal is for Ecode to become the first thing that pops into the mind of consumers when they have to purchase, recycle, and repair clothing.

By making these processes easier for the consumer, we aim to drastically change consumer behaviour. In the next three years, we hope that everyone in Ireland and the rest of Europe will have heard of Ecode and that we will have a growing number of users.”

The amount of textile waste in the EU has doubled over the past 20 years.

With Ecode, the team hope to increase the number of clothes put back into circulation by up to 60 per cent in stores.

They also wish that by informing consumers about the impact of products, they can indirectly reduce the pressure on the planet by placing more environmentally sound products in the spotlight.

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This article is an extract from content originally published in the Circular Economy in Action special edition of the Profit with Purpose Magazine - you can read the full article and other features in the magazine.

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Szilvia Szabó ⬤ Author

Journalist, Editor