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This chapter proposes frugal eco-innovation as an eco-efficient way into which firms might shift their existing business models, exploring how firms are able to cut costs and reduce negative environmental impacts simultaneously.

This work introduces the concept of frugal eco-innovation based on numerous examples about how several European companies are adopting this management perspective. These examples are obtained from these companies’ public environmental reports.

A summary of how cost reduction could be achieved by firms on the basis of frugal eco-innovation; further, the pathway for how managers could achieve an effective implementation of frugal eco-innovation.

By developing frugal eco-innovation, managers are able to benefit from a management alternative that is ecologically sustainable and economically profitable.

This work highlights how frugal eco-innovation could benefit, on the one hand, firms via the achievement of cost reduction and, on the other hand, the society in general via the diminution of the negative environmental impacts generated by the business activity.

This work analyses a management orientation that could be implemented in order to shift business models towards a more ecological production, highlighting how firms are able to do more with less.

Sustainable development research assumes that startups, under extreme financial constraints, cannot sacrifice resources now for benefits later without risking their survival. Furthermore, their non-compliance with environmental regulations adds fuel to the fire. This paper aims to explore the challenges faced by startups in resource-scarce economies and the innovative ways of coping with these challenges.

The data for the study was collected through 17 semi-structured interviews taken from startup owners and industry experts based in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The transcribed data were coded through NVivo 12 and themes were generated by merging 47 open and 14 axial codes.

The findings show that a lack of government support and lack of organisational readiness and motivation significantly affect startups’ frugal eco-innovation. Empirical evidence reveals problems related to the business ecosystem, and internal organisational issues also contribute to challenges faced by startups in attaining a competitive position in the industry.

The study’s findings suggested leveraging dynamic capabilities can help lean startups in frugal eco-innovation. Furthermore, organisational cohesion, business ecosystem, government regulations and assistantship, organisational mismanagement and market realisation are decisive in startups’ competitive position in emerging economies.

The findings of the study will result in a higher adoption rate of more competitive business models, and hence, startups’ sustainability. The results would be an effective and efficient deployment of sustainable technological solutions, creating more customer and shareholder value leading to economic growth.

This research offers a comprehensive analysis of frugal eco-innovative startups by exploring the interplay between different challenges and organisational capabilities. Furthermore, the study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence that eco-innovation can be conducted in a resource-constrained environment. This study challenged the scholarly and managerial assumption of the availability of finances as a significant player in eco-innovation. The study also links the Darwin theory of startups to a competitive edge over rivals for startups’ survival.

This paper aims to propose a framework for the dimensions of frugal innovation enablers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

A mixed research approach has been applied. First, by a comprehensive literature review, the most important factors influencing frugal innovation have been identified. Then, an interview has been conducted with 18 experts who were selected by snowball sampling method. In the next step, all identified variables have been modified in a questionnaire with 48 factors, which were distributed to 200 employees and managers of SMEs in the home appliance manufacturing industry of Isfahan province, who were selected by non-random sampling. Data has been analyzed using SPSS-25 software for exploratory factor analysis.

Findings indicated that the most important enablers of frugal innovation are world-class design, human aspect, marketing, support, knowledge, social aspect, prototyping, cultural aspect, environmental aspect, distinct brand creation, core functions focus, local R&D, cost-cutting business model and low-cost production.

The proposed framework provides an effective basis to managers and decision-makers in the field of frugal innovation to evaluate their capabilities in implementing frugal innovation, the results of which are helpful in developing a roadmap for achieving frugal innovation in SMEs and particularly in home appliance manufacturing companies.

The comprehensive framework of this study has not been applied, developed or studied in the literature. The proposed framework provides new insights for future studies on the subject of frugal innovation, e.g. investigating the influence of frugal innovation on frugal innovation performance.

The purpose of this paper is to describe and compare seven case studies of strategic innovation projects of the Brazilian army; these projects present high transformational potential and high investments and are supported by technology and science policies.

The authors present herein multiple case studies in which the authors conduct a documentary analysis of the innovation processes in the Brazilian army, as well as semi-structured interviews conducted with eight servicemen with more than 15 years of working experience.

The results obtained suggest that the innovation process occurs in four stages: creation, selection, development and diffusion of ideas.

The research is relevant because it presents how the interaction between the Brazilian army, companies and academia strengthens the innovation ecosystem, stimulating the development of best practices for the management of strategic projects.

The main contribution of this study is to present the strategic project management of innovation based on public policies and investment in projects of the Brazilian army, which are drivers for the development of ecosystems that promote the creation and expansion of companies, the diffusion of technological knowledge in universities, and suitable solutions for the military sector.

Literature on eco-innovation brings insights that help to understand which factors trigger innovation focused on sustainability in companies. However, when analyzing the studies that comprise such drivers, it appears that most of them were focused only on describing them in isolation. Therefore, this study aims to understand which are the combinations of drivers that favor the adoption of eco-innovation in slaughterhouses located in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

This study has used the crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA) as the data analysis technique, in addition to the previous application of Most Similar Different Outcome/Most Different Same Outcome (MSDO/MDSO).

This study identified eight internal and external drivers that explain the differences in performance of eco-innovative and non-innovative slaughterhouses. These drivers generate 13 combinations of factors capable of favoring the adoption of five types of eco-innovation.

A limitation identified was the difficulty to obtain information held by companies on environmental issues. In addition, in each company the authors only approached one respondent.

The use of combinations is identified by companies and governmental and non-governmental organizations to promote eco-innovation in slaughterhouses.

This study may be considered original for its contribution to the improvement of eco-innovation literature by describing how the drivers identified combine to favor the adoption of certain types of eco-innovation. In addition, the authors also made an original use of csQCA, linked with MSDO/MDSO, in the field of eco-innovation.

This study draws on the upper echelon perspective and effectuation theory to put insights on the relationship between sustainable leadership and sustainable performance.

The study had adopted the cluster-sampling approach to collect data from 500 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) established in China and India with 46.60% response rate. The SmartPLS 3.0 was employed for data analysis.

This study verified the mediating role of frugal innovation in emerging markets. Both market and technological turbulence significantly moderated the sustainable leadership-frugal innovation relationship. Nevertheless, the effect of sustainable leadership on frugal innovation did not vary for the different values of entrepreneurial bricolage.

This article contributes by revealing the moderating effect of market and technological turbulence as moderator. Greater market and technological turbulence led to greater impact of sustainable leadership practices on frugal innovation.

This paper aims to analyse the factors that influence frugal innovation (FI) in micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) at the base of the pyramid (BOP) through the theoretical lens of dynamic capabilities. The input–process–output (I-P-O) framework was used as a tool to support the analysis of FI as a process.

A multiple case study was performed with 25 MSEs at the BOP in Brazil, all of which were in the food industry.

This study indicates that dynamic capabilities are present in enterprises that are migrating to low income and middle-class consumers, which influences their FI practices. To analyse FI in the context of MSEs at the BOP, the I-P-O framework was adapted. Enterprises that have focussed on extremely poor and subsistence markets develop more disruptive innovation, aiming to reduce the final prices they charge consumers. The primary focus of these enterprises is on maintaining ordinary capabilities. Enterprises that have focussed on low income and middle-class customers have implemented incremental innovation, adding value based on colonial tastes and close relationships with their consumers. Such a strategy demands changes in the physical facilities, use of social media and investment in quality control of these enterprises. Considerations for policymakers and institutions are also presented.

The use of a dynamic capabilities lens in such a context is a new approach and provides a relevant basis for further studies. The study has identified different approaches to FI and different sets of barriers and successful practices, both related to the target market segment, that could leverage FI. This study contributes to case studies from Brazil, spreading the research context beyond Asia.