Living in the Grey Area: Cultivating the Ecotonal Society

Earlier this year, I got together with fellow Future Value advisor and biomimicry expert extraordinaire Michaela Emch. What started as an open online discussions turned into a series of articles on innovation - which we will share over the course of November.

Innovation's Role in Resilience and Transformation

Resilience is a popular concept among established players. Large corporations and governments know our systems face countless shocks. Their usual hope is for things to return to how they were. Innovation often plays a key role here. In the face of mounting challenges (environmental, social, economic) innovation can strengthen resilience. As a former French president once put it, “Everything must change so that nothing must change.” In this view, innovation is about inventing tools and practices that can quickly replace weak or damaged parts of the system without threatening its stability.

Tipping Points and the Risks of Acceleration

There’s wisdom in this approach. Nature is resilient. Established ecosystems have a tendency to self-stabilize. After disruption, they often revert to their original state. One model of resilience is found in savanna ecosystems. These landscapes regularly endure fires, yet grasses rapidly re-establish themselves afterward, stabilizing the soil and creating a habitat that allows for the return of diverse plant and animal life. Similarly, start-ups and agile small businesses can stabilize the "soil" of new markets or technologies, absorbing initial risks and uncertainties. But living ecosystems can also experience abrupt changes - whether from major natural events, invasive species, or human actions. A key concept here is the tipping point: when an ecosystem under prolonged pressure evolves suddenly into a new phase, a new mode of operation. The risk, however, is that such acceleration triggers a phase shift that leads not to a more regenerative mode but to a new, harsher paradigm less suited to human life.

Reimagining Change through the Ecotonal Lens

Are these our only choices—resilience that returns to the status quo, or disruption that risks catastrophe? Building on the concept of the ecotone, we propose a different approach to innovation. Ecotones are zones where different ecosystems overlap. Consider how migrating forests expand: pioneer species push the boundaries of their range, creating new opportunities for growth and diversity, enriching the forest edge over time. Ecotones have blurred boundaries, existing as a mix: half one thing, half another. Instead of optimizing solely for resilience or disruption, could we extend the ecotone? In the realm of innovation, it means creating spaces where start-ups, scale-ups, and forward-thinking divisions of established companies can intersect and collaborate. This might speed up the transition to more regenerative economic models, enabling the system to evolve more rapidly and adaptively.

Expanding the Space for Regenerative Futures

Ecotones exist not only across space but also through time. The present is the ultimate ecotone - a moment where past and future overlap. This overlap often feels uncomfortable. We want clear-cut eras and definitions. But if we embrace the present as an ecotone - actively cultivating this space where past trends and emerging futures meet - we might unlock greater potential for renewal. Desperately clinging to past systems when conditions have changed is like trying to grow trees in a desert with no water. This is doable for a while, but at great cost and with limited results. Perhaps, then, we’re better off embracing the ecotonal approach, creating a space where past and future coexist. A space where pioneers and elders can interact in a flexible, dynamic environment. This might increase the chances that new solutions can take root and flourish. It’s not about picking winners but about expanding the space for diverse possibilities: instead of choosing black or white, firmly hold on to the value of grey.

Your Turn

• How do you balance the need for stability with the potential for transformative change in your work?
• Have you experienced a “tipping point” where a project or initiative shifted direction significantly? What was the outcome?
• How could you create a space in your work where different perspectives and ideas intersect, like an ecotone?