Swedish study maps five critical gaps holding back green industry growth
A comprehensive expert survey in Sweden has identified 14 specific barriers preventing companies from simultaneously pursuing profitability, sustainability, and social responsibility. The findings reveal that workforce skill gaps and outdated organizational structures pose the biggest obstacles—insights companies need to compete as climate rules tighten globally.
Originaltitel: Charting the path to a sustainable, competitive and green industry in an era of rapid change: proposing a research agenda
<p>Global labor market shifts have spurred the need for innovations and adaptations in workplace norms. This evolution demands a workforce with technical and soft skills to meet sustainability and industry advancements. The paper aims to elucidate the complex challenges related to the ambition to develop a socially sustainable, competitive, and green industry subjected to an accelerating pace of change. It outlines the findings of a Delphi study conducted in Sweden, which integrated workshops, interviews, and surveys with experts from various sectors to identify 14 key challenges. These challenges were synthesized into five themes: innovative competence supply management practices, resilient organizations and production systems, analytics for improvement and learning, socially sustainable work, and green transformation practices. The study provides a set of propositions within these themes, offering a strategic roadmap for future research to foster the growth of industries that are socially responsible, competitive, and committed to environmental sustainability. A practical implication of the study is the recognition of the larger competence ecosystem of which industrial companies are a part. This community must work together to create the knowledge needed to manage the shift to a green, sustainable, and digital working life.</p>