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Orchestrating cradle‐to‐cradle innovation across the value chain: Overcoming barriers through innovation communities, collaboration mechanisms, and intermediation

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  • Erik G. Hansen
  • Julia C. Schmitt

Abstract

The circular economy (CE) aims at cycling products and materials in closed technical and biological loops. Cradle to cradle (C2C) operationalizes the CE with a product design concept rooted in the circulation of “healthy” materials because contamination of materials with substances of concern hampers cycling and may pose risks to people in contact with them. Extant research shows that barriers often hinder organizations from successfully pursuing cradle‐to‐cradle product innovation (CPI). Innovation community theory helps to explain how to overcome barriers and further the innovation process by taking a microlevel perspective on intra‐ and interorganizational collaboration of individual promotors (or champions). We elaborate innovation community theory with a longitudinal embedded case study of a C2C frontrunner company with the goal to get a precise understanding of how promotors collaborate in the CPI process. Our contribution is threefold: We identify eight collaboration mechanisms used between promotors to sequentially overcome a hub firm's individual, organizational, value chain, and institutional level barriers to circularity. Second, we differentiate these mechanisms according to their cooperative and coordinative facets and put emphasis on the coordinative functions of those mechanisms linked to the C2C standard. Third, we highlight the importance of promotors at the linking level who facilitate the CPI process as intermediaries.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik G. Hansen & Julia C. Schmitt, 2021. "Orchestrating cradle‐to‐cradle innovation across the value chain: Overcoming barriers through innovation communities, collaboration mechanisms, and intermediation," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(3), pages 627-647, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:25:y:2021:i:3:p:627-647
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.13081
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    Cited by:

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    5. Ullern, Eli Fyhn & de Boer, Luitzen & Schmitt, Julia & Vildåsen, Sigurd Sagen, 2026. "Perceptions matter. Exploring dynamics of circular economy innovation processes," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    6. Johan Arekrans & Sofia Ritzén & Rafael Laurenti, 2023. "The role of radical innovation in circular strategy deployment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1085-1105, March.
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    9. Christof Falkenberg & Carina Schneeberger & Siegfried Pöchtrager, 2023. "Is Sustainability Reporting Promoting a Circular Economy? Analysis of Companies’ Sustainability Reports in the Agri-Food Sector in the Scope of Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and EU Taxonomy Regulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, May.
    10. Stuart Danvers & Jonathan Robertson & Ambika Zutshi, 2023. "Conceptualizing How Collaboration Advances Circularity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-23, March.
    11. Janik, Agnieszka & Ryszko, Adam, 2025. "Open innovation and environmental sustainability–A systematic literature review from the firm-level perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    12. Jun Wen & Lingxiao Li & Xinxin Zhao & Chenyang Jiao & Wenjie Li, 2022. "How Government Size Expansion Can Affect Green Innovation—An Empirical Analysis of Data on Cross-Country Green Patent Filings," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-22, June.
    13. Giorgia Trasciani & Carolina de Nicolò & Maryline Filippi, 2025. "Rethinking Fashion: Can Local Initiatives Drive Systemic and Sustainable Change?," Post-Print hal-05028076, HAL.
    14. Svenja Damberg & Ulla A. Saari & Morgane Fritz & Vytaute Dlugoborskyte & Katerina Božič, 2024. "Consumers' purchase behavior of Cradle to Cradle Certified® products—The role of trust and supply chain transparency," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(8), pages 8280-8299, December.
    15. Liane Pinho Santos & João F. Proença, 2022. "Developing Return Supply Chain: A Research on the Automotive Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-24, May.
    16. Signe Pedersen & Christian Clausen & Michael Søgaard Jørgensen, 2023. "Navigating value networks to co‐create sustainable business models: An actionable staging approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 240-258, January.
    17. Xiaochen Zhang & Xinyu Liu & Yang Zhang & Xing Xu & Jiaxin Xiao & Ding-Bang Luh, 2023. "Assessing the Feasibility of Practical Cradle to Cradle in Sustainable Conceptual Product Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-32, April.
    18. Josef‐Peter Schöggl & Lukas Stumpf & Rupert J. Baumgartner, 2024. "The role of interorganizational collaboration and digital technologies in the implementation of circular economy practices—Empirical evidence from manufacturing firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 2225-2249, March.
    19. Silvia Donis & Jaime Gómez & Idana Salazar, 2026. "Barriers or Challenges? How European Companies Respond to Barriers to Eco‐Innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 2395-2417, February.

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