Sustainable R&D: A conceptual approach for the allocation of sustainability methods and measures in the R&D process

From its existence as a popular buzzword in the past, sustainability is increasingly applied as a true guiding principle in industrial organisations. Despite having a major responsibility for future products, services and business models, R&D departments are still lagging behind this development, principally focusing on the economic perspective of sustainability as well as on the fulfilment of environmental regulations. This paper aims at strengthening the importance of sustainability in R&D through the allocation of product-oriented sustainability methods and measures to the different phases of a generic R&D process, allowing for a more efficient development of sustainable products.