Innovation with a Purpose: Designing Sustainable Impact for Future Generations

In a world of compounding crises — climate change, social inequality, ecological degradation — the time has come to ask not just what we innovate, but why and for whom.

In this spirit, the DSFP is excited to feature a compelling seminar led by Dr Jovan Tan, Lecturer at the Engineering Design and Innovation Centre, College of Design and Engineering at NUS. Titled “Designing Sustainable & Impactful Innovations for Future Generations”, this seminar invites senior leaders to reframe innovation not as a tool for growth alone, but as a responsibility to leave the world better than we found it.

With decades of experience leading in the corporate world, many DSFP Candidates come to the programme at a turning point: where the desire to build significance now outweighs the drive to pursue success. Dr Jovan’s seminar meets them at that threshold.

This seminar is not a theoretical overview of sustainability trends. It is a hands-on, values-driven experience grounded in rigour, strategy, and real-world applicability.

DSFP Candidates will be introduced to practical tools such as life cycle assessment and sustainability diagnostics to evaluate the environmental impact of innovations — essential knowledge in a world where every product and process has a planetary footprint.

“Innovation tackles the world’s biggest challenges by aligning with key outcomes such as sustainability. Measuring this performance accurately enables comparisons with current solutions, assuring us that the soon-to-be introduced innovations can have a genuinely positive impact on the world,” Dr Jovan emphasises.

But the session goes further.

Dr Jovan will guide Candidates through emerging innovation frameworks such as the LASER Framework and Restorative Innovation. Both frameworks are acknowledged by the World Economic Forum.

The Restorative Innovation framework, specifically, was co-developed with DSFP Academic Director, Professor Virginia Cha, and emphasises how innovations that generate a net-positive value for society and the environment can also yield profits and returns for investors.

Whether a Candidate is mentoring a social enterprise, investing in ESG ventures, or developing a personal legacy project, this seminar provides actionable lenses to ensure their contributions are future-fit and impact-aligned.

Structured in three dynamic phases (principles, evaluation, and strategic action), the session blends discussion, peer exchange, and practical analysis. Candidates will not only reflect on the sustainability of their ideas, but also sharpen their ability to communicate their impact, purpose, and competitive advantage in a way that resonates across sectors.

In many ways, this seminar epitomises the DSFP journey: moving from achievement to stewardship, from individual success to generational impact.