About Craig Coulter As the Global Advanced Manufacturing & Mobility Sustainability leader at EY , Coulter supports clients to integrate sustainability to help change the manufacturing space .
Q . WHAT ROLE DO INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN TRANSITIONING TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN MANUFACTURING ?
» We cannot discuss a successful manufacturing transition to circularity without a foundation of innovation and technology . Digital capabilities are essential to a circular transformation . Manufacturers need to incorporate ESG data throughout the product development lifecycle to assess the potential benefits of making a circular transition . According to the WEF , bringing digital technologies to scale could reduce emissions by up to 20 % by 2050 in the three highest carbon-emitting sectors : energy , materials , and mobility . According to EY-Parthenon Digital Investment Index 2022 , 26 % of senior executives have reported a positive impact from the digital investments made in 2021 in addressing ESG challenges , while 23 % see sustainability as the top operational goal for the company ’ s digital investment over the next two years . Put simply , manufacturers ’ efforts to digitise their business – which is ongoing – will directly lead to sustainability benefits .
In my opinion , innovation is the critical circularity consideration for manufacturers . Most of EY ’ s clients are quite capable , excelling at core innovation . But circularity often requires adjacent or disruptive innovation thinking and capabilities , and this is where many of our clients are stuck in making that leap .
About Craig Coulter As the Global Advanced Manufacturing & Mobility Sustainability leader at EY , Coulter supports clients to integrate sustainability to help change the manufacturing space .
He also serves on the leadership team for the EY-Nottingham Spirk Innovation Hub , a client collaboration centre in Cleveland , Ohio that curates innovation commercialisation and digital experiences for EY ’ s clients . sustainabilitymag . com 23