A Hundred and Fifty Shades of Green: A Foresight-Driven Playbook for Sustainable Innovation Governance

Abstract

This paper introduces the Hundred and Fifty Shades of Green Playbook – an evidence-based, foresight-driven instrument for assessing and managing Sustainable Innovation (SI). Building on the CASI-F Project (2014-2017) and its successor applications in the BOLERO Project (2022–2025), the Playbook proposes a sequenced, action-oriented approach for multi-actor collaboration. It integrates stakeholder engagement, critical-issues analysis, and foresight-based planning into ten interlinked governance aspects encompassing 150 meta-tasks that guide sustainability-oriented decision-making across government, business, academia, and civil society. The BOLERO experience, particularly the MOBBI service innovation in Lombardy, exemplifies the framework’s transferability from EU-level to regional implementation, demonstrating its adaptability to diverse institutional and socio-economic contexts. Reflecting a decade of progress in the governance and management of sustainable innovation, the Playbook’s Action Roadmap and Strategic Framework link strategic foresight with participatory governance and sustainability assessment. Together, they offer a replicable model for building resilient, impact-driven innovation ecosystems that directly support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and align with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. Future research will deepen longitudinal evaluation and continuous learning to ensure that sustainable innovation practices continue to evolve and shape the future.