Ecological Innovation: Sustainable Development in Slovakia

Abstract

Background: Systematic management of innovation in the context of sustainable development based on ecological innovation is an essential part of the global market. Therefore, it will be guided by ecological innovations, which represent a means of sustainable development. The traditional approach to the evaluation of innovations focused mainly on economic results and failed to capture the ecological dimensions of sustainability from the theme of view of their consumers’ application. Therefore, the paper has the aim of evaluating the sustainability of ecological innovations from the perspective of customers in Slovakia, focusing on the elementary characteristics of sustainability through ecological innovations from the point of view of consumers. In the research, we focus on the parameters of ecological innovations connected with the sustainability of buildings and their operation—energy, health, comfort, materials, living processes and the quality of the place and equipment from the point of view of mobility. Methods: The primary study method is the Kano model. Conclusions: The results point to the fact that Slovak respondents are largely unaffected by ecological innovations, but they perceive the use of cars with an internal combustion engine as a mandatory requirement; innovations in thermal insulation, the use of natural and renewable materials and mass transport are attractive requirements for the respondents. Heating and use of recyclable materials are one-dimensional requirements.

1. Introduction

Innovation is no longer associated only with the production process. Nowadays, innovations influence and are closely connected with all areas of society. Therefore, innovations are also closely connected with sustainable development because the limits of the natural environment have started to hinder economic growth. Increasing climate change and environmental problems also affect it to a large extent. Due to the deterioration of the environment, the topic of ecological innovation, sustainability and the entire environmental agenda is a very important topic and is part of innovation strategies [1]. Market dynamics are different from environmental dynamics. This difference helps to explain why businesses are not able to sufficiently ensure sustainable economic development [2]. Due to the differences in limited natural resources, climate change and other environmental problems and threats to economic progress, innovation has become a key driver of sustainable development. In this case, innovation can represent an element of reconciliation with the limit of the natural environment and economic growth. Reconciling the economic and environmental performance of enterprises will represent the improvement of the environment and the increase in competitiveness through ecological innovations. Eco-innovations then represent an opportunity to achieve sustainability through efficient use of natural resources and elimination of environmental shocks, environmental impacts, and market pressure without slowing down economic growth. Linking ecological innovation and economic growth can then lead to sustainable competitive advantages. The sustainability orientation within the evaluation of innovation performance becomes more important to achieve successful transformation towards sustainability [3,4,5,6,7].

In the professional literature, we can come across not only the term ecological innovation, but also the terms sustainable innovation, environmental innovation, sustainability-oriented innovation and innovation for sustainability, which do not cover the entire scope of this term, as they miss the conceptual base, which is reflected in highlighting their environmental dimension, mainly because firms can have an economic interest in such actions [8]. However, a recent review points to the increasing interest in exploring the convergence of different concepts of sustainability and innovation management in business [9].

With the ever-increasing rate of environmental degradation in countries around the world, ways are being sought to limit environmental deficiencies to achieve future sustainability. In this pursuit of green development, economies are motivated to adopt ecological practices that can help in the effort to conserve resources and increase efficiency in achieving green ecosystems [10]. The way to achieve innovative performance and build a sustainable competitive advantage is to access innovative resources and strengthen capabilities through ecological integration [11]. In the professional literature on entrepreneurship, a new trend has begun in recent years examining business strategies that focus on the environmental dimension [12,13], but which also do not neglect the social and economic dimensions of sustainability. The concept of such business models is based on innovation, environmental care and long-term sustainability [14]. The priority is to identify the parameters of a long-term sustainable business model so that they also address the economic activities of companies and their impact on the environment [15]. For this reason, it is necessary to examine the interested participants in the model, among whom, in addition to distributors and manufacturers, there are also consumers. It is important to examine how they react to innovative activities, the impact on the environment and long-term sustainability, or the transition and adaptation to ecological innovations supporting the development of sustainability [16]. Consumers are primarily characterized by the adoption of environmentally responsible behavior and the adoption of ecological innovations. Therefore, research focused on the perception of ecological innovations complements the profile of consumers and represents a key role in the design and implementation of sustainable strategies [12,17]. Many strategies focused on sustainability are defined in the field of professional literature and contribute to more rational and sustainable consumption. Improvements in energy efficiency are considered to contribute significantly to the achievement of greenhouse gas emission targets.

Achieving a high level of environmental protection through reducing the use of resources (such as energy and driving fuels) ultimately represents a benefit for consumers as well as other interested participants. Improving the energy efficiency of products contributes to the security of supplies of these raw materials, which is a basic condition for healthy economic activity and thus sustainable development [18].

Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of total final energy consumption and have a higher share compared to other modern final energy consumption sectors [19]. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate ecological innovations from the point of view of sustainability in Slovakia, focusing on the elementary characteristics of sustainability through ecological innovations from the point of view of consumers and their perception of building sustainability through the Kano model.

2. Materials and Methods

The research follows on from several surveys of the research team [3,6,7,20], which were devoted to ecological innovations from different points of view; in this research we focused on the perception of ecological innovation evaluation from the point of view of sustainability in Slovakia, focusing on elementary characteristics of sustainability through ecological innovations in households. The elementary characteristics of sustainability through ecological innovations in households are understood as the characteristics associated with the parameters that burden the domestic budget of Slovak households the most, besides food. These expenses include energy, housing and transport [21]. The research itself consists of several steps, which are shown in the road map of the future research, Figure 1.

The Kano model was used as the primary method of this paper to evaluate ecological innovations from the point of view of sustainability in Slovakia. Questionnaire inquiry is one of the most used methods in the framework of similar research due to its anonymity and the least forced form of feedback for determining the attitudes, satisfaction and perception of products by customers. However, in addition to these and other advantages, questionnaire inquiry also has several disadvantages [22]. Trying to solve the inherent shortcomings of the traditional inquiry method, this research proposes the use of the Kano analytical model to investigate customer satisfaction. Jain, N., and Singh, A.R. [23], state that human mentality and behavior are accompanied by uncertainty and that traditional questionnaires are always over-interpreted. The Kano model is designed to include not only quantitative but also qualitative measures. The priority of the researched ecological innovation for sustainable development in Slovakia is justified using the Kano model; the purpose of the Kano model is to identify buyers’ attitudes according to the desires for analyzed parameters [24,25]. The Kano model is a two-dimensional quality model based on the concept of customer quality. This model helps decision makers to know the level of satisfaction perceived by the respondent. A clear and better understanding of the relationship between the level of customer satisfaction and the examined parameter enables decision makers to improve the quality of the product/service with respect to customer requirements, which leads to higher levels of customer satisfaction.

The application of the Kano model focuses on various areas of research such as services, industry, supply chain management and key barriers to the growth of engineering education in the context of the state [23,26,27,28]. Following the wide use of the Kano model in various fields of research, the Kano model was also integrated by various other methods, and at the same time, Jain and Singh [29] extended the Kano model with a two-phase supplier selection process based on the fuzzy Kano model. The fuzzy Kano model focuses on supplier selection based on attractive criteria in the economic dimension. In the proposed methodologies, researchers took into account economic and social criteria while environmental criteria were not considered. Therefore, for this research, the Kano model was used as it is proposed by Professor Kano, because we do not focus on economic criteria but we search the perception of the parameters of the environmental dimension of sustainability.

Therefore, we decided to use the Kano model to determine the satisfaction of Slovak respondents representing households and their opinion on the introduction of ecological innovations supporting sustainability into everyday life in Slovak households. Based on their attitudes, the parameters for improving the implementation of ecological innovations into everyday life can be determined.

The Kano model identifies the differentiation of the variables of the selected researched objects. Through this model, we will identify consumer attitudes towards the investigated objects, which we can identify as mandatory, attractive, one-dimensional, indifferent, contradictory and questionable.

Mandatory requirements are very important from the point of view of consumer attitudes because if they are not satisfied, consumers are very dissatisfied, and if they are satisfied, consumers are very satisfied. Mandatory requirements represent the basic criteria for consumer decision-making—the core of the product. One-dimensional requirements represent a linear dependence between their fulfillment and consumer satisfaction, which means that the more requirements are met, the more satisfied the consumer is.

Attractive demands grow exponentially with consumer satisfaction. Consumers do not expect them, and if they are met, consumer satisfaction increases exponentially.

Indifferent requests do not affect consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

The exact opposite demands cause questionable attitudes among consumers.

Consumers cannot express themselves unambiguously to ambiguous requirements [30].

Subsequently, we implemented a selection of parameters for evaluating ecological innovations from the point of view of sustainability in Slovakia within the Kano model. The selection of parameters was inspired by the methodology for assessing the sustainability of buildings—the CESBA methodology [31], which serves to document and evaluate the energy and ecological qualities of buildings. Based on the mentioned methodology, parameters representing the sustainability of buildings and their operation were selected. Within these parameters, parameters representing the most current issues within Slovak households were chosen and modified for the needs of our research:

• Perception of innovations in thermal insulation;
• Perception of innovation in the use of ecological heating;
• Perception of innovations in the field of electricity saving;
• Perception of innovations in the field of water saving;
• Perception of innovation in the use of local materials;
• Perception of innovation in the use of natural and renewable materials;
• Perception of innovation in the use of recycled and recyclable materials;
• Perception of innovation in the use of low-emission materials;
• Perception of innovation in the use of electric cars;
• Perception of innovation in the use of hybrid cars;
• Perception of innovation in the use of cars with internal combustion engines;
• Perception of eco-innovation in public transport.

These parameters not only focus on the possibilities of ecological innovations related to energies, health, comfort, materials and processes of housing, but also examine the quality of the place and the equipment with which mobility is associated.

The mentioned parameters for evaluating ecological innovations from the point of view of sustainability in Slovakia were incorporated into the Kano questionnaire. The Kano questionnaire was formulated according to the principles of the Kano model; i.e., two statements were prepared for each parameter—one positively conceived and one negatively conceived (example from the Kano questionnaire, positively formulated statement: “In Slovakia, there are enough innovations to improve the quality of the internal environment from the point of view of building insulation”(rated on a scale of 1–5, where 1 means “I like it” and 5 means “I don’t like it”); negatively formulated statement: “There are few insulated buildings in Slovakia” (rated on a scale of 1–5, where 1 means “I like it” and 5 means “I don’t like it”)). Subsequently, consumers had the opportunity to express their consent or disagreement with the statement on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 means “I like it” and 5 means “I don’t like it”. Subsequently, questionnaire measures were determined, and a sample of respondents was determined. The sample of respondents consisted of 1231 Slovak consumers, which corresponds to a minimum sample of 400 respondents with a confidence interval of 95% and a margin of error of 5%.

The sample consisted of Slovak citizens aged 18 and over, which is 4,413,016 inhabitants in Slovakia (between the ages of 18 and 100 and over, as it is stated by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic for the state of the population in 2021) [32]. Respondents were subsequently approached by random selection in person as well as electronically.

Table 1. Sample of respondents in research—descriptive statistics.

Factor n = 1231	Specification	Multiplicity
		Absolute (Number of Respondents)	Relative (%)
Age	18–30	386	31.36
	31–50	379	30.79
	51–60	308	25.02
	61 and over	158	12.83
Gender	Female	789	64.09
	Male	442	35.91

presents descriptive statistics of the sample of respondents. The sample of respondents consisted mainly of women—64.09% of all answers. In terms of age, 31.36% of respondents were between 18 and 30 years old, 30.79% of respondents were between 31 and 50 years old, 25.02% of respondents were between 51 and 60 years old and 12.83% of respondents were over 61 years old.

Subsequently, a database of data was created from the collected data and evaluated based on the cross rule of the Kano model (see

Table 2. Kano model—table for cross-evaluation [33,34,35,36,37] (Data from Reference [37], Technical University in Zvolen, 2022).

		Answer to the Dysfunctional Question
		Like	Acceptable	No Feeling	Mandatory	Do Not Like
Answer to the Functional Question	Like	Q.	A.	A.	A.	O.
	Acceptable	R.	I.	I.	I.	M.
	No Feeling	R.	I.	I.	I.	M.
	Mandatory	R.	I.	I.	I.	M.
	Do not like	R.	R.	R.	R.	Q.

), and the attitudes of Slovak consumers to the issue addressed were identified.

With this determination, the attitudes of Slovak consumers were identified for the investigated parameters as follows: attractive (A), mandatory (M), reverse (R), one-dimensional (O), questionable (Q) or indifferent (I).

The established attitudes of the Slovak respondents to the addressed issue were subsequently divided according to the share of the sample of respondents in percentage representation from the point of view of their attitude to the investigated parameter. This means that the most represented group of respondents’ requirements characterizes the resulting attitude towards the investigated parameter.

The identified categories of attitudes were subsequently used for their aggregation among all respondents using customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction indices [34,35,36,37]:

$$\mathrm{Consumer} \mathrm{satisfaction} \left(\mathrm{CS}\right)=\frac{\left(\#\mathrm{A}+\#\mathrm{O}\right)}{\left(\#\mathrm{A}+\#\mathrm{O}+\#\mathrm{M}+\#\mathrm{I}\right)}$$

(1)

$$\mathrm{Consumer} \mathrm{dissatisfaction} \left(\mathrm{SDS}\right)=\frac{\left(\#\mathrm{O}+\#\mathrm{M}\right)}{\left(\#\mathrm{A}+\#\mathrm{O}+\#\mathrm{M}+\#\mathrm{I}\right)}-1$$

(2)

when #A, #M, #O and #I represent categorization frequencies, i.e., the number of respondents who classified the offer as attractive, indifferent, mandatory or unidimensional, respectively.

The satisfaction index reflects the proportion of respondents for whom the existence of the offer attribute affects the satisfaction of Slovak consumers with the issue being addressed. Conversely, the dissatisfaction index reflects the proportion of respondents for whom the absence of the offer attribute affects consumer dissatisfaction. Consumer dissatisfaction is multiplied by −1, which highlights the negative effects on consumer satisfaction. For each parameter, the satisfaction index is in the range [0, 1], and for the respondents’ dissatisfaction, the dissatisfaction index is in the range [−1, 0]. A satisfaction index value close to 1 indicates a high proportion of customers among whom satisfaction can be achieved, and a value close to −1 indicates a high proportion of respondents among whom dissatisfaction can be induced. The mean of the scale is 0.5 for consumer satisfaction and −0.5 for consumer dissatisfaction. The mean of the scale indicates whether most respondents can be stimulated, either positively or negatively. Based on the calculated values of the satisfaction and dissatisfaction indices and plotting them in the matrix, a two-dimensional grid with four quadrants was obtained, as shown in

Table 3. Division of parameters into groups [15,37], (Data from Reference [37], Technical University in Zvolen, 2022).

Quadrants	Ratio Between	Customer Satisfaction
Attractive offerings	0.5 ≤ CS ≤ 1 and 0 ≥ CDS > −0.5	Attractive values include requirements that lead exponentially to an increase in consumer satisfaction.
Indifferent offerings	0 ≤ CS < 0.5 and 0 ≥ CDS > −0.5	Indifferent requirements not influencing the consumers’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
Mandatory offerings	0 ≤ CS < 0.5 and −0.5 ≥ CDS ≥ −1	The mandatory requirements are a significant point of view because in the case of their non-compliance they cause strong dissatisfaction.
One-dimensional offerings	0.5 ≤ CS ≤ 1 and −0.5 ≥ CDS ≥ −1	The more requirements are met, the more satisfied the consumer is.

.

3. Results

By using the mentioned methodology of the Kano model, the attitudes of Slovak respondents to the investigated parameters in the perception of ecological innovations supporting the development of sustainability in Slovakia were identified.

Table 4. Perceptions of ecological innovation supporting sustainability development.

Properties n = 1231		A		I		M		O		Q		R		Consumer satisfaction	Consumer dissatisfaction	Categories
		Multiplicity		Multiplicity		Multiplicity		Multiplicity		Multiplicity		Multiplicity
		Relative	Absolute	Relative	Absolute	Relative	Absolute	Relative	Absolute	Relative	Absolute	Relative	Absolute
Perception of eco-innovation	in thermal insulation	321	26.08	258	20.96	124	10.07	345	28.03	28	2.27	155	12.59	0.635	0.448	O
	in the use of ecological heating	241	19.58	227	18.44	231	18.77	263	21.36	12	0.97	257	20.88	0.524	0.514	O
	in the field of electricity saving	242	19.66	366	29.73	164	13.32	202	16.41	45	3.66	212	17.22	0.456	0.376	I
	in the field of water saving	142	11.54	574	46.63	182	14.78	189	15.35	16	1.30	128	10.40	0.305	0.341	I
	in the use of local materials	113	9.18	482	39.16	106	8.61	402	32.66	14	1.14	114	9.26	0.467	0.461	I
	in the use of natural and renewable materials	346	28.11	321	26.08	128	10.40	326	26.48	16	1.30	94	7.64	0.599	0.405	A
	in the use of recycled and recyclable materials	54	4.39	184	14.95	8	0.65	486	39.48	24	1.95	475	38.59	0.738	0.675	O
	in the production of low-emission materials using pollutants	189	15.35	426	34.61	223	18.12	279	22.66	12	0.97	102	8.29	0.419	0.449	I
	in the use of electric cars	116	9.42	268	21.77	152	12.35	204	16.57	9	0.73	482	39.16	0.432	0.481	R
	in the use of hybrid cars	256	20.80	263	21.36	231	18.77	227	18.44	13	1.06	241	19.58	0.494	0.469	I
	in the use of cars with internal combustion engines	168	13.65	362	29.41	598	48.58	25	2.03	78	6.34	0	0.00	0.167	0.540	M
	in public transport	51	4.14	477	38.75	18	1.46	504	40.94	17	1.38	164	13.32	0.529	0.497	I

presents the individual results of the examined parameters for eco-innovation supporting sustainable development. The perception of ecological innovations by Slovak respondents in the area of thermal insulation can be characterized as a one-dimensional requirement, which means that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are dependent for Slovak respondents. It is important to mention that ecological innovations in thermal insulation are attractive for the same group of respondents, so they do not expect this parameter, but they are very satisfied if it is met.

Slovak respondents took a similar attitude toward eco-innovation in the use of eco-heating. It is also perceived as a one-dimensional requirement, but interestingly, a similarly large group of respondents perceive these eco-innovations as attractive and mandatory without impact, and at the same time it is perceived in a reverse way.

As for perceptions of eco-innovation from the point of view of electricity, water saving and the use of local materials, the respondents stated that this issue does not affect them. On the contrary, they see the use of natural and renewable materials as an attractive requirement. The use of recycled materials is perceived by Slovak respondents as a one-dimensional requirement, which gives the idea that the more recycled materials are used, the higher satisfaction. The use of materials with low pollutant emissions does not influence the Slovak respondents.

Slovakia lags in the use of electric cars, which was also demonstrated by the results of our research. Hybrid cars do not evoke a reverse attitude in respondents, but at the same time, they do not influence the respondents. Slovak respondents perceive in the most positive way the use of cars with internal combustion engines, which they consider a mandatory requirement, which must be met. In case of its non-compliance, respondents are maximally dissatisfied. The perception of ecological innovations in public transport has no effect on Slovak respondents.

A graphical summation of the findings is shown in Figure 2. The parameters represented by the individual investigated ecological innovations for the development of sustainability are placed with respect to their values of the satisfaction index and the customer dissatisfaction index. The four quadrants show the division of requirements of Slovak respondents to ecological innovations for the development of sustainability from the point of view of their perception into mandatory, one-dimensional, attractive and indifferent categories of requirements.

4. Discussion

The results of this paper show the consumers’ behavior towards ecological innovations from the point of view of sustainability in Slovakia.

Mandatory requirements are very important from the consumer’s point of view because, in the event of their non-compliance, they cause great consumer dissatisfaction; the use of cars with internal combustion engines was found to be a mandatory requirement. The automotive industry is experiencing a revolutionary moment in its quest to reduce the carbon footprint of its activities. To a large extent, electric vehicles in particular are currently promoted as the only and best solution for a sustainable future of mobility at the expense of internal combustion engines. This tendentious view, even if it is controversial and potentially dangerous from the point of view of the production of electric cars, electricity, etc., is gaining strength, especially after the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019 [38]. As the results show, in Slovakia, cars with an internal combustion engine are preferred. Several studies [39,40,41,42] point to the need for a variety of solutions for the sustainable future of the transport sector, where cars with internal combustion engines have their presence. The risks of technology bans were explored, as were the reasons why the development of internal combustion engines alongside biofuels is still and continues to be necessary for cleaner mobility. The potential of biofuels to generate clean energy is addressed.

Attractive requirements lead to exponentially increasing consumer satisfaction; thermal insulation, use of natural and renewable materials and public transport were found to be attractive requirements.

The mentioned parameters are attractive to Slovak customers for various reasons. For example, as reported by [19], buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of total end-use energy consumption and have a higher share compared to other global end-use energy sectors. Public transport can be more attractive from the point of view of saving transport costs. It represents the social quality factor. The availability of public transport has gained fundamental importance in the design and evaluation of the transit system from the point of view of mobility and sustainability [43]. Furthermore, [43] revealed several impacts of public transport accessibility on the environment and daily life, as well as a correlation between public transport accessibility and job opportunities. Here it is important to emphasize that when planning public transport facilities, it is necessary to consider not only the performance of public transport, but especially its impact on social aspects, taking into account the availability of public transport in relation to work opportunities, which are often limited in Slovakia. The parameter use of natural and renewable materials can be attractive for Slovaks also because wood is a raw material that Slovakia has, and at the same time it represents renewable wealth following the tradition of the woodworking industry in Slovakia. In cooperation with forestry, it forms a chain of industries that are traditional in Slovakia [44,45]. In addition, a study by Paluš et al. [46], says that natural material is preferred by consumers over substitute materials in Slovakia. The results are also confirmed by the study by Rametsteiner et al. [47], who present similar attitudes of consumers towards products made from natural materials and also describe the competitiveness of natural materials in terms of their properties.

One-dimensional requirements are heating and use of recyclable materials. The use of renewable energies in the domestic heating and cooling sector is a key strategy for improving final energy consumption in most countries. There is currently a sufficiently high level of awareness in society of renewable energy technologies for heating and cooling in the residential sector [43]. This sufficiently high awareness influences the attitude of Slovak respondents, as a one-dimensional requirement. Another factor that enters their requirements is energy consumption. Energy consumption represents one of the key factors of household satisfaction. There is no convincing evidence of the influence of the state of energy sector reform on the opinion of households [48,49], but the results show that the higher the degree of fulfillment of these requirements is, the more satisfied the customer is.

Indifferent requirements not influencing the consumers’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction are as follows: use of materials with low pollutant emissions, use of electric cars, use of hybrid cars, electricity saving, water saving and use of local materials. This attitude essentially represents opposites to the requirements that affect consumers. For example, electro-mobility does not affect Slovak respondents, as the infrastructure of elements such as charging stations [50] is not sufficiently built in Slovakia. Cars with combustion engines are more affordable in Slovakia [51]. This also affects the preference for cars with an internal combustion engine—a mandatory requirement. We can also assume that this is also the case for the other investigated parameters because saving water and using local materials are influenced by sufficient supplies of natural resources (byproducts)—wood, forest and water resources. At the same time, the energy reserves of fossil fuels in Slovakia do not represent a significant position and are dependent on imports. Nowadays, the availability of fossil fuels is becoming a worldwide problem, and equivalent substitutes with available ecological solutions are being sought. Slovakia can be involved in the solution of possible alternatives because it has considerable renewable and at the same time ecological resources, which soon will begin to be reached and will certainly also be practically used [52].

The mentioned results are also confirmed by similar surveys [3,7,8,38], which point to the fact that Slovak consumers consider sharing economy, brands, lower operating costs, etc., to be attractive requirements among the selected specific parameters of ecological innovations. Consumers perceive advertising of eco-innovation, zero emissions, etc., as one-dimensional requirements, but some requirements do not affect them. They perceive the price of eco-innovation, costs of eco-innovation and eco-product solutions, etc., as reverse requirements.

This research also points to the fact that the price of eco-innovation and costs of eco-innovation and eco-product solutions, with selected parameters oriented towards ecological innovations, affect consumers and, when evaluating the perception of buildings, the quality of the equipment in their place (localization), with which mobility is combined. This is influenced by the impact on household savings to a large extent.

Therefore, Slovak consumers, as one of the key subjects of sustainable business models, focus more on the economic and social dimensions of the examined parameters of ecological innovations, and only then on the ecological dimension of sustainability, or the ecological dimension of sustainability is an attractive parameter for them in the case of an economic effect representing savings for households. The identified parameters of selected ecological innovations for sustainability from the point of view of Slovak customers point to key elements for the design and implementation of sustainable business models for those responding to innovative activities aimed at more rational and sustainable consumption within the scope of the researched issue for the design and implementation of a long-term sustainable business model so that they also address economic activities of companies and their impact on the environment. When the given findings are properly incorporated into sustainable business models, these models will represent a benefit not only for consumers but also for other interested participants within the model. At the same time, improving the energy efficiency of buildings will also contribute to the security of raw material supplies, which is a basic condition for healthy economic activity and thus sustainable development in the current energy crisis [12,13,14,15,16,17,18,53].

The results present a synergy of practical research on the attitudes of Slovak respondents and theoretical knowledge of the researched issues. This research presents a view of the perception of ecological innovations from the point of view of sustainability in Slovakia, focusing on the elementary characteristics of sustainability through ecological innovations in households because of gaps in the concept of perception of their customer quality. This model helps decision makers (managers) to know the level of satisfaction perceived by the respondent. A clear and better understanding of the relationship between the level of customer satisfaction and the investigated parameters allows decision makers to improve the quality of the examined parameters and improve strategies for better adaptation of innovations in the market regarding customer requirements, which leads to a higher level of customer satisfaction. Managerial implications when knowing the perception of customers lead to limitation, reduction or elimination of shortcomings in the quality of implementation of the studied parameters and strategies of business models. The research presented on the basis of these analyses provides both theoretical and practical information for innovators, businesses and politicians in the area of ecological innovation and sustainability. The acquisition of knowledge can then lead to setting objectives and policies for their real implementation in practice and help to increase ecological innovation in Slovakia in the context of innovation and environmental processes.

Despite our efforts to incorporate all relevant data in the paper, some important documents may have been omitted unintentionally, which was caused by the limitation of the study. Another limitation of the study is from the point of view of the methodology, as stated by Jain, N., and Singh, A.R. [23], forcing the respondent to mark only one answer for the functional and dysfunctional form of the question, even though the Kano model is widely accepted by experts and researchers.

In the future, it will be possible to conduct research on specific sectors and types of eco-innovation and compare them.

5. Conclusions

Nowadays, ecological innovations are an important tool for achieving sustainability. Eco-innovation can be understood as the selection of suitable materials, processes and methods of distribution, which are used with lower consumption of energy and natural resources and, overall, with a lower impact on the environment. In addition, many environmental problems within the global economy have created a growing need to change social patterns of behavior. Therefore, it is important to investigate consumer behavior in the field of ecological innovations and focus on the real implementation of activities that have a direct positive impact on sustainable development. From the point of view of Slovak customers, ecological innovations represent attractive requirements to a considerable extent; these requirements represent savings for customers, or for their households, but otherwise have no influence on them.

In summary, Slovak consumers perceive these requirements to be:

• Mandatory: the use of cars with internal combustion engine. Therefore, the risks of technology bans must be explored, along with the reasons why the development of internal combustion engines alongside biofuels is still and continues to be necessary for cleaner mobility. The potential of biofuels to generate clean energy should be addressed.
• Attractive: thermal insulation, use of natural and renewable materials and public transport.
• One-dimensional: heating and use of recyclable materials. The use of renewable energies in the domestic heating and cooling sector is a key strategy to improve final energy consumption.