Project

Our current understanding of prosperity is closely linked to economic growth. In view of global challenges such as climate change and the scarcity of environmental resources, this growth is increasingly being called into question. In addition, a decline in productivity can be observed in many industrialised countries (so-called secular stagnation). Thus, enduring economic growth can no longer be generally assumed.

Against this backdrop, the discussion of the conditions and configuration of a desirable societal and economic development beyond growth – hence ‘post’-growth – has intensified considerably in recent years, both nationally and internationally. The relevant positions in this context range from the demand that economic output must decrease in order to comply with planetary boundaries (degrowth position) to the view that it must rise, with simultaneous decoupling from environmental consumption, in order to maintain our level of prosperity (greengrowth position). Innovation plays a central role in all positions. However, how dependent innovations are on economic growth is a question that has been little researched to date.

The project investigates the relationship between innovations and innovation systems on the one hand and economic growth on the other. The research questions are in particular: To what extent are current innovation systems and processes dependent on economic growth? What effects may a potential long-term economic stagnation or decline have on innovation processes and systems? And what are the implications for a growth-independent or post-growth-oriented research and innovation policy?

Innovation is a far more diverse and complex phenomenon than the widespread notion of highly growth- or capital-dependent techno-economic innovations suggests. Not only is it necessary to distinguish between different types of innovation (e.g. technical, service-related or social innovation), but also their financial capital requirements, their intended impacts and unintended side-effects as well as their contributions to the universally accepted societal goals, such as social well-being or ecological sustainability, are extremely heterogeneous.

Overall, it can be argued that economic growth is not a necessary condition for innovation, at least not for all types of innovation. It can therefore be assumed that there will also be innovations in a post/zero-growth world. Due to the more limited financial resources, there could possibly be fewer innovations (in a quantitative sense), but there could also be shifts (in a qualitative sense) towards, for instance, less capital-intensive types of innovation or a focus on innovations that address prioritised societal or ecological needs.

• Heyen, Nils B.; Zenker, Andrea; Aichinger, Heike; Bratan, Tanja; Kaufmann, Tanja; Schnabl, Esther (2024): Innovation without growth? Exploring the (in)dependency of innovation on economic growth. Fraunhofer ISI Discussion Papers “Innovation Systems and Policy Analysis” (No. 83).
• Jasny, Johannes; Schubert, Torben (2023): Post-growth and the demand-pull hypothesis of innovation: Biting the hand that feeds you? Fraunhofer ISI Discussion Papers “Innovation Systems and Policy Analysis” (No. 76).
• Sartorius, Christian; Dütschke, Elisabeth; Hansmeier, Hendrik; Heyen, Nils B.; Preuß, Sabine; Warnke, Philine; Zenker, Andrea (2022): The Role of Innovation in a Postgrowth Society. In: Walter Leal Filho et al. (Eds.): Handbook of Sustainability Science in the Future. Cham: Springer, pp. 1–17.

Nils Heyen (principle investigator)

Christian Sartorius

Andrea Zenker

Heike Aichinger

Tanja Bratan

Elisabeth Dütschke

Hendrik Hansmeier

Johannes Jasny

Tanja Kaufmann

Sabine Preuß

Esther Schnabl

Torben Schubert

Jana Thomann

Philine Warnke

10/2020 – 09/2022

• Fraunhofer ISI, Institutsleitung (Eigenforschungsprojekt)