This book examines how different forms of proximity influence the knowledge processes necessary for sustainable innovation. Exploring five key dimensions—geographical, cognitive, institutional, organizational, and social—it shows how the most effective combinations of these dimensions support strong, sustainability-oriented innovation networks.

Through an analysis of how these dimensions interact, the book identifies common patterns in successful collaborations. It provides practical guidance for companies, policymakers, universities, and civil society organizations designing innovation networks or selecting partners for collaborative projects. Policy actors will find guidance for crafting strategies that promote sustainability more effectively.

At its core, the book introduces a refined analytical framework for studying multiactor settings, which are typical of sustainable innovation. It addresses the complexity of sustainability challenges and the dispersed, context-specific knowledge they require. Drawing on innovation systems research and sustainability science, the book provides a deeper understanding of how sustainable innovations take shape and thrive.

Ulrich Wilke is a Research & Development Coordinator at Reutlingen University, Germany, where he supports research activities within the Faculty of Informatics. From 2019 to 2025, he completed his PhD at the Chair of Innovation Economics at the University of Hohenheim, Germany. His research examines sustainable innovations, collaborative knowledge creation, and the roles of geographical, cognitive, institutional, organizational, and social proximity in innovation processes. Wilke has co‑authored peer‑reviewed articles on sustainability‑oriented innovation networks and proximity in knowledge exchange, published in journals such as Sustainability Science and the Journal of Economic Surveys.