How manufacturing companies can utilize innovation test-centres in facilitating environmental sustainability

This study addresses how manufacturing firms can utilize an innovation infrastructure centre to facilitate environmental sustainability. This includes both the need for companies to develop dynamic capabilities, and how an innovation infrastructure centre is designed to facilitate innovation processes within and between firms. The empirical concept is shaped by a new governmental initiative, called "Norwegian katapult", which aims to stimulate faster innovation processes from concept to market.

The goal of the present study is to provide input for further development of the catapult, and explore dynamic capabilities needed. The success of this seems to depend on the catapult's ability to illustrate how the companies can use this arena both as a tool to test new business models and organizational processes, in addition to more advanced production technology. Another crucial point, is how the catapult can stimulate collaborative innovation for environmental sustainability.