Exploring the challenges facing sustainable technology entrepreneurs

This paper is concerned with the issues surrounding technology diffusion, specifically that of More Sustainable Technologies (MST’s), the barriers which they face, and how new business models might be able to overcome these challenges. The distinctive features of MST’s are described and their associated challenges outlined. Entrepreneurs are identified as being essential to their successful commercialisation and share many features with these technological pioneers themselves. Knowledge brokering is suggested as a possible activity with which to acerlerate the commercialisation of technologies within this emerging and highly fragmented field. The work is being carried out as part of a collaborative research project between Cranfield University and the Centre for Sustainable Engineering and is therefore of a practical and applied nature. A multi-diciplinary approach is used and a brief overview of the research methodology described. The potential impact of knowledge brokering is significant, and is particularly suitable for overcoming many of the challenges faced by MST Entrpreneurs. Applied research within this emerging field is scarce, therefore this paper describes the current state of knowledge within this area and how it might be used and developed in the future.