Exploring sustainability in emerging technologies: a reference framework utilising multicase studies

Recent technological advancements are positioned as a remedy to contemporary challenges in sustainable development. However, existing methods for evaluating the sustainability impact of these technologies are insufficient, lacking comprehensive coverage of a technology's entire lifespan and proving less effective in initial developmental phases. This paper presents three case studies evaluating the sustainability of technological R&D projects in the metal sector, contributing to the advancement of sustainable technological propositions. As a result of the analysis, the paper proposes a robust framework for assessing emerging sustainable technologies. The relevant novelty of this framework is that it can be easily applied to assess technological projects from their conception, including the sustainable assessment of the development itself.