Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation

Print Special Issue Flyer
Editor
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Ecology and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 23755

Share This Special Issue

Editor

Prof. Dr. Manjula S. Salimath

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Management, G. Brint Ryan College of Business, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
Interests: sustainability; technology; innovation; ethics; international business; digitization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to submit papers to this Special Issue on “Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation” in Sustainability. There is increasing awareness of the importance of sustainability to people, organizations, the environment, countries, and societies around the globe. The interconnectedness and interdependency between man and nature is undisputable. The finite nature of resources and the rising demand for them has adversely affected the planet’s ability to rejuvenate and replenish its natural state. For example, soil degradation, chemical dumping, and toxic waste have adversely impacted the ability of future generations to have the same lifestyle and abundance as their parents. One of the many ways to address this is to rely on technology and innovation as solutions to recover and ensure more sustainable practices. Sustainable technology was named as one of the top strategic technology trends in 2024 by Gartner, a research and advisory committee, and offers significant opportunities for researchers and businesses. Hence, we call on potential authors to explicate the connection between sustainability, technology, and innovation. More importantly, we wish to receive diverse and multidisciplinary perspectives on the role of technology and innovation in driving and achieving sustainability. We welcome insights enriched from a variety of disciplines such as management, international business, entrepreneurship, technology and innovation studies, sociology, and more. We are open to theoretical and empirical papers as well as a variety of methodological perspectives that are both qualitative and quantitative.

Some relevant questions include but are not limited to the following:

What is the role of technology and innovation in developing or attaining sustainability?
What theoretical frameworks best explain the relationship between sustainability, technology, and innovation?
What are the benefits of considering a technology/innovation angle for sustainability?
What are the downsides of this angle?
Who are the beneficiaries—is it corporations, individuals, society, the environment, or governments?
What are the downsides of a technology and innovation management approach to sustainability?
What does history indicate—the past, present, and future of such an approach?
Are there any case studies or longitudinal assessments that can inform us?
Are there any country-specific comparisons that would be useful?
What are the similarities and differences between the global north vs. global south?
What are the key sustainable technologies that are likely to drive future trends?
How do digitization and digital technology impact sustainability efforts?

We encourage rigorous and thoughtful explorations of this Special Issue topic. We expect the published papers to contribute to the stream of literature on sustainable technology and innovation within the fields of management, strategy, entrepreneurship, and international business.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Manjula S. Salimath
Guest Editor

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-anonymized 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

sustainability
technology
innovation
digitization
management

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

27 pages, 2755 KB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Relationship Between Digital Transformation and Sustainable Development Goals in Slovenian SMEs

by Jurij Verhovnik, Simona Stojanova, Nina Cvar, Andrej Kos and Emilija Stojmenova Duh

Sustainability 2026, 18(14), 7200; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18147200 - 14 Jul 2026

Viewed by 335

Abstract

Digital transformation is increasingly recognized as an important enabler of sustainable development and competitiveness in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, evidence on how different dimensions of digital transformation relate to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains limited. This study explores the relationship between digital transformation and selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, in which quantitative findings informed the subsequent qualitative exploration and interpretation of managerial perspectives. The quantitative phase combined data from Eurostat’s ICT Usage Survey (2020–2024), including 60 sustainability-related indicators, with an analysis of the relationship between the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) and selected SDG indicators across 27 EU member states using Spearman’s rank correlation. The quantitative analysis suggests that Slovenia performs close to the EU average in overall digitalization, while significant associations were identified between digitalization and SDG 9. The qualitative phase consisted of semi-structured interviews with managers from ten Slovenian SMEs from different sectors. The findings indicate that managers perceive digital technologies, process digitalization, data-driven decision-making, and employee digital competencies as important contributors to sustainability-related outcomes, particularly in relation to SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 12, and SDG 13. The study contributes to the literature on sustainability-oriented digital transformation in SMEs by integrating quantitative benchmarking with managerial perspectives. The findings highlight the importance of organizational capabilities, digital competencies, and strategic alignment in translating digital transformation initiatives into sustainability-related outcomes. The results provide practical implications for SMEs and policymakers seeking to support sustainable and digitally enabled business development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

37 pages, 424 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Technological Dimension of Sustainability: A Conceptual Perspective on Governability and Resilience Under Tech4.0

by Sergiusz Pimenow, Olena Pimenowa, Piotr Prus and Marek Zieliński

Sustainability 2026, 18(10), 4892; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18104892 - 13 May 2026

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 528

Abstract

Technology is increasingly central to sustainability, yet frameworks built around the environmental–social–economic (E–S–Ec) triad and ESG disclosure regimes do not fully capture the governance problems created by interconnected digital and cyber–physical infrastructures. In this conceptual paper, Tech4.0 is used in a deliberately narrow working sense, focusing on AI-mediated decision systems, data/platform/cloud infrastructures, software dependency chains, and cyber–physical control environments in which opacity, infrastructural dependence, interdependence, and cascading failures create distinctive problems of governability and resilience. Against this background, the paper examines whether making the technological dimension explicit adds analytical value within sustainability architecture. It examines the case for treating Technological Sustainability (T) as a distinct analytical dimension/pillar insofar as it foregrounds system properties of the Technosphere that tend to be diluted when distributed across environmental, social, and economic categories. The paper then discusses the hierarchy T → Corporate Technological Responsibility (CTR) → Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) as a possible corporate-level operational pathway and outlines an exploratory measurement agenda structured around exposures, capabilities, and outcomes. Rather than offering empirical proof or a validated reporting architecture, the article provides a conceptual research program for later empirical inquiry into technological accountability under Tech4.0 conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation)

26 pages, 1701 KB

Open AccessArticle

Serious Games for Just Energy Transitions: Theoretical Framework and Application to Enhance Decision-Making for Sustainability

by Vasiliki Kioupi, Morgan Campbell, Gbemi Oluleye and Zoe M. Harris

Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2382; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052382 - 1 Mar 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 934

Abstract

Just energy transitions require diverse voices to be considered, but appropriate tools are still lacking. This study aimed to identify a tool by which diverse views could be considered in decision-making for climate change and energy transitions. Specifically, a literature review was conducted to understand the current status and gaps in the use and the application of Serious Games (SGs) in the field of sustainability. This was further used to construct a framework of criteria for selecting SGs that can enable diversity in decision-making. A specific Serious Game was selected using the framework criteria and applied in qualitative analysis that investigated a gameplay and method of data collection and analysis to assess the impact group diversity has on collective decision-making for sustainability and the quality of outcomes produced. The New Shores game was used within the context of sustainability and resilience to climate disasters. A more diverse and a less diverse group (age, ethnicity, gender, and professional role) were recruited in winter 2021, to play the game in online workshops and make decisions to sustainably develop an island while balancing personal and community wellbeing. The way each group engaged with each other and addressed the challenges of the gameplay were qualitatively evaluated to scrutinise levels of collaboration; collective decision-making and the final status of the island was quantitatively analysed to assess quality of outcomes produced by each group. Positive findings indicate that heterogenous groups demonstrated stronger collaboration, prioritised collective goals, and achieved more socially equitable and resilient outcomes compared to homogenous groups. While small scale and exploratory, the positive findings of this study indicate the need for further sustained research into use of Serious Games for sustainability decision-making, to better understand how diverse groups make decisions in game playing contexts and the extent and conditions needed for these patterns’ transfer to real-world contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1126 KB

Open AccessArticle

Aligning Digital Futures with Ecological Citizenship for Sustainability

by Luke Gooding and Robert Phillips

Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8102; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188102 - 9 Sep 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2393

Abstract

As digital technology continues to embed and influence everyday life, its social and environmental impacts need to be addressed seriously. This article introduces and clarifies the concept of Ecological Citizenship (EC), defining it as a form of citizenship that extends rights and duties beyond the human social sphere into ecological systems, requiring individuals, communities, and institutions to take responsibility for the environmental consequences of their digital practices. Unlike traditional forms of citizenship tied to legal or territorial boundaries, EC is grounded in shared ecological accountability and civic responsibility. We argue that EC offers a distinctive lens for shaping the evolution of a Sustainable Digital Society (SDS), where digital innovation and sustainability are co-aligned. Through theoretical analysis and case studies, this article examines how EC can support community-based, policy-led, and design-focused approaches towards digital sustainability. We look to highlight ways in which EC can be embedded in digital behaviour, infrastructure, and product design while acknowledging barriers such as the digital divide, unequal resource allocation, and adverse policy settings. This research aims to offer policymakers, technologists, and educators’ pragmatic advice for realising sustainable design, environmental literacy, and universal digital access. The study looks to argue for a more systemic reconsideration of digital development, a consideration which places environmental values at the forefront of technological progress, to ensure that digital transformation is both socially equitable and beneficial to planetary well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

32 pages, 3244 KB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Industry 4.0 Technologies Implementation to Enhance Circularity in Spanish Manufacturing Enterprises

by Juan-José Ortega-Gras, María-Victoria Bueno-Delgado, José-Francisco Puche-Forte, Josefina Garrido-Lova and Rafael Martínez-Fernández

Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7648; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177648 - 25 Aug 2025

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3653

Abstract

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is reshaping manufacturing by integrating advanced digital technologies and is increasingly seen as an enabler of the circular economy (CE). However, most research treats digitalisation and circularity separately, with limited empirical insight regarding their combined implementation. This study investigates I4.0 adoption to support sustainability and CE across industries, focusing on how enterprise size influences adoption patterns. Based on survey data from 69 enterprises, the research examines which technologies are applied, at what stages of the product life cycle, and what barriers and drivers influence uptake. Findings reveal a modest but growing adoption led by the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and integrated systems. While larger firms implement more advanced tools (e.g., robotics and simulation), smaller enterprises favour accessible solutions (e.g., IoT and cloud computing). A positive link is observed between digital adoption and CE practices, though barriers remain significant. Five main categories of perceived obstacles are identified: political/institutional, financial, social/market-related, technological/infrastructural, and legal/regulatory. Attitudinal resistance, particularly in micro and small enterprises, emerges as an additional challenge. Based on these insights, and to support the twin transition, the paper proposes targeted policies, including expanded funding, streamlined procedures, enhanced training, and tools for circular performance monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

34 pages, 4422 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Effects of Financial Agglomeration and Green Technological Innovation on Carbon Emissions

by Zhijie Hao, Ziqian Zhao, Zhiwei Pan, Decai Tang, Meiling Zhao and Hui Zhang

Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2746; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062746 - 19 Mar 2025

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2328

Abstract

Financial agglomeration and green technology innovation are important measures to reduce carbon emissions and promote the development of a green economy. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces and cities in China from 2011 to 2020, this paper uses the locational entropy method and the carbon emission coefficient measurement method provided in the IPCC inventory guide to establish a spatial econometric model to explore the specific impact of financial agglomeration and green technology innovation on carbon emission. The results show that (1) both financial agglomeration and green technology innovation will reduce carbon emissions; (2) when considering the spatial effect, financial agglomeration and green technology innovation will effectively reduce carbon emissions; (3) the influence of financial agglomeration and green technology innovation on carbon emissions has regional heterogeneity. Only green technology innovation can significantly reduce carbon emissions in the eastern region. Financial agglomeration and green technology innovation in the central region can significantly reduce carbon emissions. Financial agglomeration in the western region can significantly reduce carbon emissions, but green technology innovation will lead to an increase in carbon emissions. This paper provides useful suggestions for optimizing the financial industry’s structure, improving the level of green technology, and alleviating environmental pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 4170 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Clothing Technology in Supporting Sustainable Fashion in the Post-COVID-19 Era

by Xue Min, Lei Shen and Xiangfang Ren

Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8287; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198287 - 24 Sep 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 12047

Abstract

With the outbreak and ongoing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, a wave of post-COVID-19 zeitgeist has emerged worldwide. From the perspective of fashion trends, an increasing number of consumers are demanding higher standards of health, environmental friendliness, and sustainability. Over the past 10 years, the integration of technology in clothing has facilitated continuous updates in both functionality and aesthetics. This article aims to explore the relationship between clothing technology and sustainable fashion in the post-COVID-19 era, seeking to enhance the development and innovation of sustainable fashion through the empowerment of clothing technology. This study conducts extensive research on the literature and online case studies, categorizing empowered sustainable fashion technology design cases into six major categories and four directional themes. It introduces an innovative sustainable fashion design assessment model, PCBS (Product, Customer, Business, Society). Subsequently, the knowledge framework is applied in design practice alongside consumer research to validate the system’s usability. Furthermore, this research synthesizes and summarizes the methods through which fashion technology can support sustainable fashion in the post-pandemic era. Designers and practitioners can reference these insights for more advanced sustainable design initiatives, thereby promoting a lower-carbon and environmentally friendly system that drives global innovation and development in a sustainable society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Achieving Sustainability: Role of Technology and Innovation

Share This Special Issue

Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI