Fashion Companies Pioneering with Eco-Innovations in the Swedish Fashion Industry: Motivations, Resources, and Cooperation

Abstract

Eco-innovations are required to solve the environmental issues in the fashion industry, but their widespread implementation and diffusion is still limited. Both literature and practice indicate that multi-stakeholder cooperation can provide necessary knowledge, scale, and resources that single actors lack. This qualitative research employed an explorative case-study approach to develop an understanding of how and why certain fashion companies in Sweden innovate and what role cooperation has in their eco-innovative activities. The findings suggest the importance of environmental motivations, market opportunities, and cluster effects. These findings contribute to the development of strategies for a sustainable transition of the fashion industry.