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Sustainability
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Digital Transformation and Open Innovation for Business Ecosystems
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Digital Transformation and Open Innovation for Business Ecosystems

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: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 6568

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yuki Inoue

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering and Economics, School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, W9-86 (W9 bldg. 636), 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
Interests: innovation; business ecosystems; business platforms; electronic commerce
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Naoshi Uchihira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate School of Advanced Science and Technology, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1, Asahidai, Nomi 923-1292, Ishikawa, Japan
Interests: innovation management; digital transformation; service design

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Business ecosystems have an important role in the contemporary society and the cores and/or platforms of business ecosystems are nowadays often structured by digital technologies. Therefore, the acceleration of the digital transformation ignited by COVID-19 has unlocked opportunities for new business ecosystems, in which the emergence of open innovation can generally be observed. The outcomes of such open innovation can influence the sustainability of the business ecosystems; yet, research of business ecosystems from the aspect of sustainability that remains relevant to the digital transformation, open innovation, and combination thereof remains underdeveloped.

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore new aspects of and knowledge on sustainability for business ecosystems, especially from the aspects of the digital transformation and open innovation. In this Special Issue, broad topics relating these themes are welcome, including original research articles and reviews. Research areas may include, but are not limited to:

  • How the digital transformation improves/erodes the sustainability of business ecosystems;
  • The occurrence of open innovation in business ecosystems and how this relates to sustainability;
  • The sustainable aspects of open innovation ecosystems;
  • The sustainability of digital platform ecosystems.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yuki Inoue
Prof. Dr. Naoshi Uchihira
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • business ecosystems
  • platform ecosystems
  • innovation ecosystems
  • digital transformation
  • open innovation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 615 KiB  
Article
Do Social Media Platforms Control the Sustainable Purchase Intentions of Younger People?
by Japheth Nuhu Ahmed, Ahmet Adalıer, Hale Özgit and Marjan Kamyabi
Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5488; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125488 - 14 Jun 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1046
Abstract
Social media platforms have transformed communication, engagement, and consumer interaction, significantly influencing sustainable consumption behaviour. With the vast array of social networking and media options available, marketing professionals actively leverage these platforms to shape consumer preferences and purchasing decisions. This study investigates the [...] Read more.
Social media platforms have transformed communication, engagement, and consumer interaction, significantly influencing sustainable consumption behaviour. With the vast array of social networking and media options available, marketing professionals actively leverage these platforms to shape consumer preferences and purchasing decisions. This study investigates the impact of social media platforms on the sustainable consumption decisions of young people. Adopting a quantitative research methodology, the study employed judgemental sampling to select participants. Data were gathered from 450 respondents via an online questionnaire, and the proposed relationships were assessed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with SmartPLS version 4 to provide a thorough statistical evaluation. Research findings indicate that social media marketing has a substantial impact on sustainable purchase intentions, content quality, and behavioural engagement. Furthermore, the quality of content and levels of behavioural engagement significantly affect sustainable purchase intentions. However, the findings suggest that the social media platforms used for information retrieval do not significantly influence intentions to make sustainable purchases. This study contributes to marketing research by developing a model that examines how social media platforms influence young people’s intentions to purchase sustainably, as well as the impact of social media marketing, engagement, and content quality on these intentions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation and Open Innovation for Business Ecosystems)
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17 pages, 950 KiB  
Article
Sustaining Digital Marketing Strategies to Enhance Customer Engagement and Brand Promotion: Position as a Moderator
by Marjan Kamyabi, Hale Özgit and Japheth Nuhu Ahmed
Sustainability 2025, 17(7), 3270; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17073270 - 7 Apr 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3149
Abstract
Digital marketing strategies are vital for enhancing customer engagement, promoting brands, and ensuring sustainability. This study explores the influence of digital marketing on customer engagement and brand promotion within the dynamic tourism and hospitality industry while addressing a significant gap in incorporating employee [...] Read more.
Digital marketing strategies are vital for enhancing customer engagement, promoting brands, and ensuring sustainability. This study explores the influence of digital marketing on customer engagement and brand promotion within the dynamic tourism and hospitality industry while addressing a significant gap in incorporating employee position as a moderating variable. A quantitative research method was employed to collect data from 350 hotel employees in Tehran 4- and 5-star hotels. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was conducted to explore the moderator role. Key findings indicate that digital marketing strategies enhance customer engagement and positively influence brand promotion. Additionally, the moderating effect of employee position takes into account the differences among employees regarding service expectations and perceptions. Specifically, it highlights how the skills of managerial positions are better utilized when implementing digital strategies. This study supplements theoretical frameworks and practical applications and improves the strategic use of digital marketing in tourism and hospitality. The case study provides new insights for policymakers and hoteliers in the tourism and hotel industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation and Open Innovation for Business Ecosystems)
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24 pages, 2426 KiB  
Article
Innovation in Platform Ecosystems: Roles of Complementors’ Experiential Knowledge and Community Engagement as an External Knowledge Source
by Xiaoxiao Zhou and Yuki Inoue
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2279; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052279 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1325
Abstract
Complementors are the source of complementary goods. Increased participation by complementors fosters innovation in complementary goods, contributing to the sustainability of the ecosystem. This study examines how complementors’ experiential knowledge and their engagement with the community as an external knowledge source are correlated [...] Read more.
Complementors are the source of complementary goods. Increased participation by complementors fosters innovation in complementary goods, contributing to the sustainability of the ecosystem. This study examines how complementors’ experiential knowledge and their engagement with the community as an external knowledge source are correlated with the degree of innovation in complementary goods. A multiple regression analysis was conducted using data from the game mod platform Nexus Mods. Prior evidence indicates an inverted U-shaped relationship between experiential knowledge and the degree of innovation. It is suggested that when experiential knowledge accumulation exceeds an optimal level, further accumulation may lead to a decline in the degree of innovation. This study reveals that when complementors possess a high level of experiential knowledge, the positive relationship between their engagement with the community and the degree of innovation in complementary goods is strengthened. Complementors with abundant experience, who actively engage with the community as an external knowledge source, are more likely to drive innovation. Consequently, they play a crucial role in supporting the sustainable development of the ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation and Open Innovation for Business Ecosystems)
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