THE AUTHOR

Walter R. Stahel founded the Product-Life Institute Geneva; is head of the the Geneva Association’s Risk Management research; Visiting Professor at University of Surrey (UK) and utt Troyes (France). A graduate of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Stahel has authored several prizewinning papers and, with Orio Giarini, ‘The Limits to Certainty’, published in 6 languages.

THE BOOK

New metrics and business models for an economy founded on sustainable performance

The books shows how, by thinking ‘smart’, companies and governments can economically profit from technological progress and at the same time contribute to sustainable development. Replete with both successful and failed examples, this useful tool for tomorrow’s functional economy

• introduces the business models that turn knowledge into better performance, more jobs and greater wealth,
• describes how to improve the manufacturing process, product service sales and performance over time,
• shows how traditional techniques and innovations for renewal of precious resources can create both manual and skilled jobs, resulting in lower unemployment, lower energy consumption and reduced resource throughput – three ingredients for economic growth.

Countries struggling with low economic growth, high unemployment and rising public debt as well as companies with falling revenues and disappointing bottom lines can only profit from this book’s recommended strategies to increase value added, reduce energy and material consumption and use the workforce increasingly to maintain physical assets – instead of replacing them. A key thrust is giving the private sector a greater role in a country’s economic development. This book offers a series of business models and examples to achieve this.

The industrial economy is turning into a functional service economy. Yet, too many businessmen and policymakers are still using outdated business models focused around designing and manufacturing goods for sale. This book outlines the strategies and models needed for tomorrow’s challenges: how to use technology and knowledge to improve performance, create jobs and increase income. It also shows what skills will be required to produce and sell performance, and manage performance over time, and how manual and skilled jobs can contribute to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources.
The books shows how, by thinking ‘smart’, companies and governments can economically profit from technological progress and at the same time contribute to sustainable development. Replete with both successful and failed examples, the book is a useful tool for managers and politicians who want to take advantage of the business opportunities of tomorrow’s functional service economy, and provides the composite metrics needed for analysis.