DiscoverSUSTAINX: Leaders in SustainabilityEp. 15 – Innovation Meets Sustainability: Why the Future Belongs to Those Who Combine Both – with Steffen Erath
Ep. 15 – Innovation Meets Sustainability: Why the Future Belongs to Those Who Combine Both – with Steffen Erath

Ep. 15 – Innovation Meets Sustainability: Why the Future Belongs to Those Who Combine Both – with Steffen Erath

Update: 2025-07-09
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Sustainability isn’t a hurdle to innovation—it’s the spark.

In this episode, host Sven Steinert is joined by Steffen Erath, Head of Innovation & Sustainability at Hansgrohe Group, to explore why the future of innovation can be green—and how regulations, mindsets, and timing could shape that future.

Steffen shares how Hansgrohe uses sustainability as an innovation search field. He dives into how seemingly rigid regulations can both help and hinder progress, why nearly every sustainability challenge can be turned into a business opportunity, and how companies can move beyond “green fatigue” to accelerate the transformation—all while keeping people, planet and profit in balance.


You'll learn:

1. How regulations can both accelerate and block sustainable innovation
2. Why most sustainability challenges carry a hidden business opportunity
3. The importance of timing and market readiness for green innovation
4. How Hansgrohe drives transformation through vision, not fear
5. What it takes to embed sustainability into core innovation processes

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Get in touch with Steffen Erath on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffen-erath/

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About the host Sven Steinert:
Sven Steinert is the CEO of SUSTAINX | The Sustainability Leaders Community, and Partner and Sustainability Lead at H&Z Management Consulting. To Sven, sustainability is not just a buzzword – it’s about making real changes for a sustainable future. His goal is to help companies reduce their environmental footprint and embrace circularity. Sven is passionate about ice hockey, and exploring new cultures to enrich his understanding of the world and diverse ways of life.

Get in touch with Sven Steinert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svensteinert/

Want to connect with like-minded sustainability professionals in a collaborative space? Join our online community at sustainx.bettermode.io.

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The SUSTAINX: Leaders in Sustainability Podcast is powered by H&Z Management Consulting in collaboration with SAWOO.

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Ep. 15 – Innovation Meets Sustainability: Why the Future Belongs to Those Who Combine Both – with Steffen Erath

Ep. 15 – Innovation Meets Sustainability: Why the Future Belongs to Those Who Combine Both – with Steffen Erath

Sven Steinert / Steffen Erath