Nissan’s long-term green technology development: Strategic Alliances, Innovation diffusion, and Corporate Responsibility

In the past decade the automotive industry has mutated rapidly, with success factors evolving far from the simple cost benefits of economies of scale. Industry trends such as general globalisation and platform de-proliferation (increasing variety from fewer vehicle platforms) have delivered results below expectations, eroding shareholder value (Blake et al., 2003). The new critical success factors instead come from understanding customer demands, faster speed to market, and innovation. The response to this evolution has been found in the collaboration between car manufacturers to develop long-term sustainable technologies to ensure the benefit of growth together with sustainable profits.

Nissan provides a good example of an evolution in strategy to accommodate for the increased consumer expectation of exceptional corporate social responsibility (CSR) by engaging in partnerships to enhance its innovation in a number of key aspects which will be examined: knowledge synergies, cleaner operations, and infrastructure development. Nissan’s focus on sustainability is one of the pillars of its overall mid-term “Power88” organisational plan, and is detailed in its separate collection of sustainability strategies, outlined in their CSR platform called Blue Citizenship.

The purpose of this report is to examine what sustainable strategies in the areas of environment and value chain improvements are taken out with the help of strategic alliances, and how value and capabilities are created through several examples of collaborative partnerships to determine what the future strategy of Nissan is likely to be.

Access the full report here.