This document summarizes efforts to support sustainable regional innovation and ecodesign among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Wales. It discusses the context in Wales including its devolved government and industrial history. It then describes the establishment of the Ecodesign Centre Wales, a small team aimed to build SME capacity for ecodesign. The document reviews perspectives on supporting ecodesign in SMEs and shares insights from workshops with Welsh SMEs. It concludes by recommending a focus on knowledge sharing, capacity building, education, and establishing a culture of policy learning to further support ecodesign among SMEs in Wales.

2. Supporting sustainable regional innovation and ecodesign
in SMEs
• context
• a practitioners perspective on SMEs
• the SMEs perspective
• recommendations for future strategies

3. Wales
• devolved administration of UK (1998)
• historically, manufacturing and mineral based
industries
• currently, service sector and lower volume, value
added production
• statutory obligation to promote sustainable
development
“We aim to encourage ecodesign and sustainable
production and consumption in Wales”
Environment Strategy for Wales 2026, Welsh Assembly Government, 2006

4. Ecodesign Centre Wales
established in September 2006
small team of 5 (designers and engineers)
our role
build capacity and capabilities so that effective
ecodesign can happen in Wales

6. supporting ecodesign and sustainable innovation in SMEs

7. a tale of two cities?

8. or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

9. positive negative
• simple capital structure • lack of managerial and operational
resources (including time, cost, skills)
• entrepreneurial orientation / spirit
• failure of SME managers to act
• flexible decision making structures
strategically – insular and autonomous
• organisational flexibility
• lack of awareness, training, and
• close trust-based relationships with motivation
suppliers or subcontractors
• low absorptive capacity
• needs based ad-hoc training
• uncertainty and poor appropriability
• “public-good” nature of investment in
ecodesign

10. incremental v.s. radical v.s. disruptive v.s. sustainable

11. what about SMEs in Wales?

12. phase 1 • Cardiff Business School (LEED Unit)
• “Design for growth survey” “potential growth index”
• identified and ranked 250 businesses (sample of 2056)
• managerial prioritisation of environmental issues
• innovative capacity
• skills development and training
• networking
phase 2
• select over 30 SMEs
• combine key companies from stage one with
design led SMEs
• 3 concurrent workshops to explore
• existing perceptions on ecodesign and sustainable
business practice
• required internal/external competencies

13. general observations
SMEs
• need inspiration to engage with ecodesign
– non-standard drivers
• expect local knowledge from BSOs or intermediaries
• benefit from long-term relationships (not dependency)
– negotiating risks, building capacity
• benefit from partnerships
– industry as service provider
• listen to appropriate language
• require flexible financial support

14. recommendations (for Wales or similar)
• identify of focus areas for intervention – (innovation systems perspective)
• create platforms for the open sharing of knowledge and experiences
• build capacity in existing/current business support infrastructure
• embed ecodesign and sustainability in higher/further, professional
training, etc
• build capacity in the indigenous design sector
• establishing a culture of policy learning

15. thank you
questions?