Erneuerungrenewal

Erneuerungrenewal is a term that blends the German Erneuerung ("renewal") with the English word renewal to describe a cross-disciplinary approach to ongoing renewal in organizations, communities, and systems. It denotes not a single change, but an integrated, time-spanning process of renewing structures, processes, and cultures to maintain relevance, resilience, and sustainability.

The term is used in interdisciplinary governance, organizational development, and sustainability discourse. It emphasizes balancing continuity with transformation, preserving core functions while renewing capabilities, knowledge, and relationships.

Core elements include strategic renewal, organizational memory, capacity-building, resource renewal (human, financial, physical), adaptive governance, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. It also stresses iterative learning, performance feedback, and durable but flexible planning horizons.

Applications span business strategy (periodic renewal of markets, products, and culture), urban and regional planning (neighborhood renewal and infrastructure renewal), and technology and public policy (system renewal toward more resilient and sustainable configurations).

Advantages include increased resilience, longer-term viability, and the ability to adapt to changing conditions. Criticisms note vagueness as a label, the risk of overuse as a buzzword, and challenges in measuring progress across diverse domains.

See also: renewal, organizational renewal, change management, sustainable development.