eco-innovation or ecological innovation is the development of products and processes that contribute to sustainable development, applying knowledge and business strategies to generate ecological improvements directly and indirectly. The above includes a series of ideas related to ecologically friendly technological advances to build a beneficial path towards sustainability.

The idea of ​​eco-innovation is quite recent. One of the first appearances of the concept in literature was in the book by Claude Fussler and Peter James.[1]​ In a subsequent article, Peter James defines eco-innovation as “new products and processes that provide value to the customer and the company but significantly reduce the impact on the environment.”[2]​.

Eco-innovation is closely related to a variety of similar concepts. A common synonym is "green innovation," and it is a concept commonly associated with environmental technology, eco-efficiency, green designs, sustainable designs, or sustainable innovation. While the term "environmental innovation" is used in similar contexts to "eco-innovation", other terms are commonly used referring to the design of the process or product, and therefore seek to focus on the technological aspects of eco-innovation rather than focusing on the political and social aspects.

The most common use of the term “eco-innovation” refers to innovative products and processes that reduce the impact on the environment. It is commonly used in conjunction with eco-efficiency and eco-design. Leaders from various industries have developed innovative technologies with the purpose of moving towards sustainability. However, these are not always practical or regulated by rules and laws.