Well, the conference is winding down. In another half-hour, it will be history. The content was very good, and I am glad I was able to attend. Many sessions were informative, entertaining, or both.
This afternoon’s session on biomimicry was particularly interesting. John Bradford of Interface gave a passionate account of how his company, the leader in commercial carpet manufacturing came to an epiphany around being a socially responsible corporation and has recast their business ethos.
John discussed the ecological impetus that led to this change in direction, how Interface thinks about energy and recycling in their processes, and how they have used biomimicry to drive strong growth in revenue, profit, and corporate value. Examples of how Interface evaluates technology, product, and process choices along various dimensions of an eco-impact footprint were also shown.
I found this session to be a standout because of the growing attention to green initiatives in companies globally. The sustainability agenda is emerging as a front burner business issue, and companies are faced with difficult challenges in meeting this agenda without undermining their business objectives. Interface is an interest case studying in how an established company can use innovation as a key driver for being both financially effective and socially responsible.
This is my last post from FEI; I hope you found the coverage interesting.
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