sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Digital Economy Era–Corporate Strategy Management and Sustainable Innovation

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 August 2025 | Viewed by 976

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management, ISCAL-Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, Avenue Miguel Bombarda, 20, 1069-035 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: knowledge management; innovation; collaborative innovation; technological innovation management; entrepreneurship; environmental management; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is important to understand the influence of the digital economy on the development of sustainable innovation and business strategies focused on environmental protection, energy savings, and pollution reduction. In this regard, it is necessary to analyze how a green technological innovation strategy can benefit from digital financing policies and improve investment in research and development for sustainable innovation, both by small- and medium-sized enterprises and by large corporations, which is crucial for green production in the digital era.

Sustainable economic development depends on software and business-enabling technologies that support green innovation in various industries and address the social challenges arising from the digital economy. The characteristics of the digital economy in sustainable innovation development produce effects that allow companies to formulate strategies to achieve new strategic positions in the market.

This Special Issue aims to improve the understanding of the effect of the digital economy on sustainable innovation and business management strategies, involving different variables and contexts that impact the sustainable management practices adopted in the production of products and services for sustainable markets.

Dr. José Moleiro Martins
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 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

  • corporate low-carbon innovation
  • corporate strategies in response to market digitalization
  • digital economy
  • digital economy empowering green finance
  • digital economy development and environmental uncertainty
  • digital financing
  • digital technologies
  • digital transformation of business processes
  • environmental protection
  • green innovation
  • green production
  • green technological innovation
  • green technology
  • Industry 4.0 and 5.0
  • internet dynamics in the digital economy
  • research and development practices directed at sustainability
  • revenue from R&D of sustainable products
  • sustainable economic development
  • sustainable innovation
  • sustainable innovation development in SMEs and large enterprises
  • sustainable low-carbon development in the digital economy
  • sustainable strategic 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 (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 1765 KiB  
Article
Empowering Manufacturing SMEs: Financial Accessibility and Sustainable Practices in the Age of Digitalization
by Yimeng Zhou and Anca Pacala
Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3571; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083571 - 16 Apr 2025
Viewed by 631
Abstract
In today’s digital economy, long-term business success increasingly depends on both financial resources and digital capabilities. However, limited research explores how these two factors jointly drive sustainable performance in SMEs. This study investigates how access to finance influences sustainability outcomes among SMEs, with [...] Read more.
In today’s digital economy, long-term business success increasingly depends on both financial resources and digital capabilities. However, limited research explores how these two factors jointly drive sustainable performance in SMEs. This study investigates how access to finance influences sustainability outcomes among SMEs, with digital agility as a mediator and Industry 5.0 as a moderator. Based on cross-sectional data collected from 383 Hungarian manufacturing SMEs in late 2024, we apply PLS-SEM and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to validate our model. The results show that access to finance significantly influences digital agility and SMEs’ sustainability. Digital agility significantly mediates between access to finance and SMEs’ sustainability. Industry 5.0 further strengthens the relationships between access to finance and both SMEs’ sustainability and digital agility. ML identified digital agility as the key factor of SMEs’ sustainability. This study contributes to the Resource-Based View and Triple Bottom Line views by synergizing digital agility and human-centered Industry 5.0. Theoretically, it also supports methodological innovation in showing that the combined usage of PLS-SEM and ML can produce stronger and more fine-grained conclusions on complex sustainability dynamics. The findings are practically relevant guidance for SMEs, policymakers, and banks intending to enable digitally facilitated sustainable growth. To the scientific community, this study bridges a critical void by linking finance, technology, and sustainability within an innovative framework. Socially, it highlights how SMEs’ financial and digital capabilities can be strengthened not only to drive economic performance but also to support environmental sustainability and social well-being—resulting in inclusive and sustainable growth for emerging economies. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop