Assessing the optimal strategic and sustainable investment timing in emerging technologies: a prospective techno-sustainability assessment

ongoing

"European society must urgently transition from fossil dependency to a self-sustained economy, with emerging sustainable technologies as a key foundation. However, many of these technologies are still in development, making investment timing uncertain. Current sustainability assessments treat emerging technologies as if they are ready for commercialization, despite their future implementation. This misalignment leads to uncertain and potentially inaccurate sustainability evaluations, risking misguided investments. Given the urgency of this transition, society has neither the time nor the resources to afford such failures. Hence, within my project ‘TIME2EMERGE’, I will develop an innovative techno-sustainability assessment framework to prospectively evaluate the strategic sustainable investment timing in emerging technologies that will be defined by the expected future technological readiness, economic feasibility, and environmental soundness at the commercialisation point of time. This approach will initiate a paradigm shift moving away from a present-based ""What is the sustainability of the emerging technology?"" towards a future-based approach ""When is sustainability achieved?"" My expertise in prospective sustainability assessment, Prof. Tony Kiss's specialization in dynamic process systems engineering, and access to the emerging technology ‘electrochemical CO2 reduction’ at TU-Delft will support the development of this innovative framework. This project will drive a crucial shift toward prospective techno-sustainability, enhancing the precision and predictability of evaluations across disciplines. It will prevent false investments and guide R&D efforts, accelerating the development of technologies that reduce environmental impact while fostering sustainable economic growth and job creation. Additionally, the project will deepen my expertise, positioning me as a key link between academia and industry, and strengthening my path toward an independent academic career."