Beyond Sustainability, Toward Resilience, and Regeneration: An Integrative Framework for Archetypes of Regenerative Innovation

Abstract Wicked problems of climate change, extreme weather events, pandemics, and rising inequality are pushing businesses to explore the next frontiers of resilience, innovation, and sustainability. Although previous studies have examined diverse aspects of resilience, innovation, and sustainability independently, attempts to integrate all three are limited. Further, in the literature, there is a growing need to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to regeneration for solving wicked problems. We aim to address this gap by combining a systematic literature review with practice review methodology to unearth evidence and research themes that integrate resilience, innovation, sustainability, circularity, and regeneration. In this paper, we present 10 cases, including diverse businesses and Net Zero Cities that have adopted business practices for regenerative, sustainable, and circular value creation. In doing so, we extend the discourse on sustainable or circular business models by proposing a definition of regenerative innovation and developing four archetypes of regenerative innovation (urban transformation innovation, technological innovation, responsible innovation, and business model innovation). We draw from the theoretical lens of socio-ecological systems to present nature as the key stakeholder for regenerative businesses. We make novel contributions to theory, practice, and policy by highlighting a new system-based paradigm of regenerative innovation for future resilient products and services.