Work

Bridging academia and industry: the role of consultants in implementing sustainable product development tools

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT: Academic tools for sustainable product development often fail to achieve widespread use in industry. Based on a case study of a consultancy firm, this study explores factors that enable consultants to adopt and adapt such tools and act as intermediaries that translate and integrate academic findings into practice. Interviews and a survey revealed that a solid conceptual foundation, clear client value, result visualization, adaptability, and integration with existing workflows are most important, and the study proposes nine lessons learned to guide future tool development and collaboration.

Source: Proceedings of the Design Society

DOI: 10.1017/pds.2026.10440

Authors: Jesko Schulte, Sophie I. Hallstedt, Matilda S. Watz

Institutions: Blekinge Institute of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Sustainable Design and Development

Subfield: Building and Construction

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: