Beyond Adoption: Ensuring the Sustainable Use of New Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

1. Focus, Scope, and Purpose

a. Focus

This Special Issue focuses on the long-term sustainability of emerging technologies beyond initial adoption. While many studies examine the diffusion and adoption of new technologies, there is a gap in understanding how these technologies are sustained, optimized, and integrated into economic, environmental, and social systems over time. This issue will explore strategies, frameworks, and policies that support the responsible and continued use of technology in alignment with sustainable development goals (SDGs).

b. Scope

This Special Issue invites interdisciplinary research that addresses the following key themes:

• Sustainable technology management: strategies to optimize the lifecycle, efficiency, and environmental impact of new technologies.
• Socio-economic impacts: long-term effects of technology usage on industries, labor markets, and communities.
• Environmental sustainability: case studies and models for reducing the ecological footprint of technology, including circular economy approaches.
• Regulatory frameworks and governance: policies and legal mechanisms that ensure ethical and sustainable technology deployment.
• Integration with sustainability metrics: approaches for quantifying and monitoring the sustainability of technology use.
• Technological resilience and adaptability: how businesses and institutions adapt technologies to remain sustainable amid market and environmental changes.
• Technostress in the context of sustainability: how organizations can foster a sustainable work culture by integrating technology without compromising employee well-being.

c. Purpose

The purpose of this Special Issue is to bridge the gap between technology adoption and its long-term sustainability by addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with maintaining the positive impact of new technologies. The issue has the following objectives:

•  Provide insights into how organizations, policymakers, and society can ensure responsible and continuous technological use.
• Offer solutions for minimizing negative externalities such as energy overuse, e-waste, and technological obsolescence.
•  Encourage interdisciplinary dialog on sustainable innovation management.

2. Contribution to the Existing Literature

Most of the literature on technology adoption focuses on diffusion models, innovation acceptance, and market penetration (e.g., Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory, Technology Acceptance Model, and UTAUT). However, there is a critical need to examine what happens after technology adoption. This Special Issue will supplement existing research in the following ways:

•  Extend innovation adoption theories to include post-adoption sustainability.
• Address gaps in long-term impact assessments of technology in economic, social, and environmental contexts.
• Provide empirical and theoretical contributions on sustainable technology lifecycle management.
• Connect sustainability science with technology and innovation management research.

3. Contribution to Sustainability

This Special Issue aligns with the Aims and Scope of Sustainability by tackling sustainability challenges from multiple perspectives:

• Environmental Sustainability: studies on energy-efficient technology usage, circular economy strategies, and sustainable materials.
• Economic Sustainability: research on cost-effective technology maintenance, green business models, and sustainable industry practices.
• Social Sustainability: the role of technology in enhancing social equity, digital inclusion, and responsible governance.
• Policy and Law: insights into international sustainability policies, corporate responsibility frameworks, and ethical AI governance.
• Sustainability Measurement and Monitoring: development of new tools and indicators to assess the sustainability of technology over time.

This issue will contribute to defining and quantifying sustainability in technology use, measuring impacts through sustainability assessment tools, and offering actionable recommendations for businesses, governments, and researchers.

Dr. Yide Liu
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.

• sustainable technology management
• technology lifecycle optimization
• circular economy
• technostress and well-being
• socio-economic impact of technology
• environmental sustainability
• regulatory frameworks
• sustainability metrics and monitoring
• technological resilience
• innovation management