THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW
are evolving towards refurbishment and extension of product lifetimes. The goal is to give devices a second life, either within customers’ own operations or through resale to organisations that do not require the latest technology generation.
Mary says:“ Some of these initiatives may have their foundations in regulation, but they’ re really driving innovation in how we do business and in the services we offer.”
A striking example of bottom-up innovation is the R. E. A. L. framework developed by Lenovo’ s Intelligent Devices Group strategy team. R. E. A. L. stands for responsible design, ethical materials, accountable models and lifecycle intelligence. It aims to embed circularity across Lenovo’ s business.“ It’ s a strategic way to frame the way we think so product teams are considering the full life cycle and business model, not just the hardware,” she explains.
The framework builds on Lenovo’ s longstanding use of recycled and closed-loop materials in products and innovative packaging at scale. It also encourages business models such as device-as-aservice, where customers pay for access to IT rather than owning hardware outright. That model can offer financial benefits and reduce waste by matching device volumes and computing power more closely to actual need.
Lifecycle intelligence, the“ L” in REAL, focuses on gathering data to understand impacts and guide better design and service decisions. Mary says:“ It’ s a great example of innovation driven by a major business unit and its strategy team, not by the sustainability function.”
28 March 2026