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Innovating for Sustainability: Digital and Circular Strategies in the Twin Transition Era

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 12 June 2027 | Viewed by 3273

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Donato Iacobucci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
C2I Research Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Department of Information Engineering, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Interests: economics; innovation; regional studies
Dr. Marco Ciro Liscio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
C2I Research Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Department of Information Engineering, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Interests: circular economy; management; sustainable business models; OLCA
Dr. Paolo Sospiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CREAT, Università degli Studi eCampus, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
Interests: economics; services of general interest; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The twin transition—digital and ecological—represents a transformative force reshaping societies, industries, and territories in the pursuit of sustainable development. This Special Issue focuses on how innovation enables and accelerates this dual transformation, particularly through the lens of circular economy principles and remanufacturing practices, which are essential levers for promoting resource efficiency, resilience, and long-term environmental sustainability.

The scope of the issue includes interdisciplinary and applied research exploring the integration of digital technologies (e.g., AI, IoT, blockchain) with circular economy strategies across diverse contexts: industry, urban and regional systems, households, public policy, and civil society. We particularly welcome papers that address business models, socio-technical systems, governance frameworks, and monitoring tools that foster innovation and sustainability. Topics such as remanufacturing, reuse, industrial symbiosis, and product-service systems are central to this call.

The purpose of the Special Issue is to expand the body of literature on sustainability transitions by promoting systemic, cross-sectoral, and multilevel approaches. By bringing together contributions from technology, environmental science, economics, and the social sciences, this collection will highlight both theoretical insights and practical solutions for implementing the twin transition globally and locally.

This Special Issue directly contributes to Sustainability’s mission by addressing integrated socio-technical approaches to sustainable development, tools to quantify and monitor sustainability, and policies to support the transition. It aims to fill current gaps in the literature where digital innovation, remanufacturing, and circular strategies converge, offering both conceptual frameworks and empirical evidence to support more effective sustainability pathways.

Contributions include (but are not limited to):

  • Environmental impact monitoring methodologies;
  • Sustainable and smart mobility solutions;
  • Household energy and emissions reduction;
  • R-strategies and circular economy practices;
  • Digital tools for sustainability;
  • Consumer behaviour in the twin transition context;
  • Policy and governance innovations;
  • Circular business models;
  • Urban and territorial applications;
  • Socio-technical transitions;
  • Systemic and integrative approaches;
  • Waste management performance across regions;
  • Cross-sectoral case studies.

Prof. Dr. Donato Iacobucci
Dr. Marco Ciro Liscio
Dr. Paolo Sospiro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • twin transition
  • circular economy
  • remanufacturing
  • digital innovation
  • sustainability transitions
  • systemic change
  • green and digital technologies
  • sustainable development
  • resilient systems
  • Industry 4.0 and sustainability

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 833 KB  
Article
Fostering Female Leadership Aspiration—Social Cognitive Career Theory Approach
by Dyah Gandasari, Diena Dwidienawati and David Tjahjana
Sustainability 2026, 18(9), 4306; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18094306 - 27 Apr 2026
Viewed by 388
Abstract
Despite strong evidence that gender-diverse leadership improves organizational innovation and performance, women remain underrepresented in leadership pipelines worldwide, particularly in Asia. While prior research largely examines the outcomes of gender diversity at the firm level, far less is known about the psychological and [...] Read more.
Despite strong evidence that gender-diverse leadership improves organizational innovation and performance, women remain underrepresented in leadership pipelines worldwide, particularly in Asia. While prior research largely examines the outcomes of gender diversity at the firm level, far less is known about the psychological and social factors that shape women’s leadership aspirations in the first place. Addressing this gap, this study applies Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to explain how contextual support and developmental experiences influence women’s leadership aspirations in a collectivist business environment. Using survey data from 400 adult women in Indonesia and structural equation modelling, the study examines how parental involvement shapes personal mastery, how personal mastery strengthens leadership self-efficacy, and how self-efficacy, role models, and perceived leadership traits jointly predict leadership aspiration. The findings show that parental involvement indirectly contributes to leadership aspiration through personal mastery and self-efficacy, while role models and leadership traits also play significant roles. Among all predictors, self-efficacy emerges as the strongest driver of women’s leadership aspiration. This study makes three contributions. First, it extends SCCT beyond traditional STEM career research into the domain of leadership aspiration. Second, it provides rare empirical evidence from a collectivist Asian context, highlighting the role of family and social environment in shaping women’s leadership pathways. Third, it shifts the focus of gender diversity research from representation outcomes to the formation of the female leadership pipeline, offering actionable insight for educators, families, and organizations seeking to foster future women leaders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovating for Sustainability: Digital and Circular Strategies in the Twin Transition Era)
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29 pages, 1137 KB  
Article
Integration into the International Economic Cycle, Shift in Growth Drivers, and Green Innovation in Manufacturing
by Zhengbo Li and Qiaoqiao Zhu
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10398; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210398 - 20 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 847
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of integration into the international economic cycle (IEC) on green innovation in China’s manufacturing sector, a key factor in the country’s green strategic transformation. Using multi-regional input–output tables for both global and Chinese contexts from 2012 to 2017, [...] Read more.
This study investigates the impact of integration into the international economic cycle (IEC) on green innovation in China’s manufacturing sector, a key factor in the country’s green strategic transformation. Using multi-regional input–output tables for both global and Chinese contexts from 2012 to 2017, alongside data from listed manufacturing firms, the analysis demonstrates that IEC integration significantly promotes green innovation in Chinese manufacturing enterprises. The mechanisms of innovation-driven development and the upgrading of production capital structure are central to this effect. Economic cycles involving Europe and developing economies exert a strong positive influence on green innovation, whereas demand from North America and East Asia has a comparatively weaker effect. State-owned and high-tech enterprises are identified as primary drivers of green innovation through IEC integration. The findings also indicate a high degree of dependence of China’s economy on the IEC. However, reliance on IEC integration alone may result in market failure, underscoring the essential role of government environmental regulation and macroeconomic guidance. The study provides valuable insights into the transformation and advancement of manufacturing and high-quality development within the context of the modernization of China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovating for Sustainability: Digital and Circular Strategies in the Twin Transition Era)
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Review

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20 pages, 894 KB  
Review
Hybrid Energy Storage Systems as Circular and Sustainable Enablers for Electric Mobility: A Comparative Assessment of Batteries and Supercapacitors
by Salik Ahmed, Paolo Sospiro, Michelangelo-Santo Gulino, Maurizio Laschi, Dario Vangi and Daniele Bregoli
Sustainability 2026, 18(6), 2686; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18062686 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 737
Abstract
Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a key pathway toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel dependence. Although significant advances have been achieved in energy storage technologies for EVs, a structured comparative assessment that jointly evaluates batteries, supercapacitors, and their hybridisation remains lacking. This [...] Read more.
Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a key pathway toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel dependence. Although significant advances have been achieved in energy storage technologies for EVs, a structured comparative assessment that jointly evaluates batteries, supercapacitors, and their hybridisation remains lacking. This review addresses that gap by systematically comparing lithium-ion, lead-acid, and nickel-based batteries with electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), pseudocapacitors, and hybrid capacitors across ten performance and sustainability criteria. A literature-informed scoring framework, supplemented by sensitivity analysis under alternative weighting scenarios, is employed to rank the technologies. Particular attention is given to Hybrid Energy Storage Systems (HESS), which combine the high energy density of lithium-ion batteries with the high power density and long cycle life of supercapacitors. The review synthesises evidence that HESS can improve overall energy efficiency by up to 20% and extend battery lifetime by 30–50%, thereby reducing raw-material extraction, electronic waste, and lifecycle cost. Second-life pathways and circular-economy implications are discussed in depth. The findings demonstrate that neither batteries nor supercapacitors alone can satisfy the full spectrum of EV energy demands; instead, their integration within HESS offers the most balanced, sustainable, and economically viable solution. This work provides actionable insights for engineers, policymakers, and stakeholders engaged in next-generation sustainable mobility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovating for Sustainability: Digital and Circular Strategies in the Twin Transition Era)
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