Unilever Adopts Frugal Innovation, Aims To Make More With Less

Unilever, along with Renault-Nissan and Siemens, is a pioneer in using frugal innovation as a business strategy. Defined as "the ability to generate considerably more business and social value while significantly reducing the use of scarce resources," frugal innovation helps enterprises perceive scarcity in resources as a growth opportunity. Unilever CEO Paul Polman has adopted the theory, integrating frugal innovation into his company's business operations. For example, Unilever gets almost 25 percent of its agricultural inputs from sustainable sources and uses lower-emission trucks in distributing its products.