An empirical study of how innovation and the environment are considered in current engineering design practise

This paper reports the findings of a study of the current innovation and environmental considerations of six businesses that design and manufacture products affected by the product-related environmental legislation. Activities undertaken with the businesses provide insights into their New Product Development (NPD) processes, their innovation capabilities and their actions to improve their environmental performance. Several features of their NPD processes are suggested as presenting opportunities for eco-design tools to be integrated into design practises without negatively affecting the current NPD process. Finally, a conceptual framework is proposed which highlights the inter-relations between business, environmental, and customer requirements of a product across its lifecycle.