How do you think sustainability challenges will drive innovation in your field?

Sustainability is driving innovation in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, focusing on the controlled use of degradable energy, materials, water conservation, and low-emission production. As factories aim to reduce their carbon footprint, there is a strong push for innovations in energy-efficient design. Additionally, the high levels of water consumption in various processes demand significant attention.

Green manufacturing practices, aimed at minimizing the environmental impacts of medicine production, are increasingly supported by automation systems that optimize production, reduce waste, and improve resource efficiency. The biophilic design of the building incorporates nature into factory design, which not only enhances worker well-being but also contributes to sustainability.

Data analytics help track energy and water conservation and enhance sustainability strategies, while digital twins enable companies to simulate processes, optimizing throughput and minimizing waste without real-world trials. Process optimization, extended production batches, and single-use technologies further reduce waste, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts to use fewer harmful chemicals and implement solutions like recycling and alternative water-saving methods also play a crucial role.

However, the implementation of sustainable practices faces challenges, particularly in developing economies, such as high investment costs, the need for advanced workforce training, and extended ROI timelines. Despite these obstacles, sustainability presents significant opportunities for innovation, competitive advantage, and long-term environmental and economic benefits.

Everything around us is designed, from products and services to transport, food and waste systems, healthcare, and urban environments. 80 % of products’ environmental impact is influenced by decisions made during the design phase. Sustainability and circular economy are all about design and therefore, those of us involved in design decisions have a significant impact on preventing waste and pollution from the start.

With the system-level thinking and tools of service design, we can approach even the most complex challenges and reveal their “non-obvious” layers as well. For example, food retailers can maximize benefits not only for the environment but also for their businesses and customers. By utilizing, for example, the by-products from plant-based milk production, companies can take advantage of new business growth opportunities. In the same way, industrial parks can improve their circular economy and their businesses by assessing the use of fly ash or waste heat.

Tackling sustainable challenges requires policies, collaboration, stakeholders with different skillsets, and creativity to success in this innovative and far-reaching journey we are on together.

The global marine industry has a substantial impact on climate change. In response, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set ambitious targets: a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and ‘Net Zero’ emissions by 2050. These goals create a pressing need for advanced technical solutions with low or zero emissions, presenting both challenges and opportunities for innovation in the field.

New ship engine technologies are emerging, offering the potential to use low-carbon or carbon-free future fuels. At the same time, electric ships are becoming a viable option, particularly for short-distance routes. Ship engines are transitioning to alternative fuels such as methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen. However, these fuels pose technical challenges, especially in adapting engine room designs to meet new safety standards. Hybrid propulsion systems, which combine energy storage with traditional engine power, are also being explored to meet the IMO’s emission reduction targets.

In addition to propulsion technologies, there is a growing focus on sustainable materials in shipbuilding, such as using sustainable steel to reduce the industry’s CO₂ footprint. Furthermore, energy efficiency innovations are continually being developed to help ships optimize energy use and further contribute to emission reduction efforts.