Digital Economy and Business Innovation for Sustainability Transitions

Dear Colleagues,

Digital transformation and business innovation appear to offer promising pathways in achieving sustainable transitions across different industries. Several studies investigate the impact of digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data Analytics on economic, environmental, and, to a lesser extent, social sustainability (Guandalini, 2022; Rosário & Dias, 2022). Further studies describe frameworks and theoretical models that use digital technologies as a lever for business innovation, which plays critical roles in achieving sustainability targets such as improved urban development, firm performance, and circular economy practices (Azmat, Lim, Moyeen, Voola, & Gupta, 2023; Mäkitie, Hanson, Damman & Wardeberg, 2023).

This Special Issue aims to examine the intersection of digital economy and business innovation in driving sustainability transitions, welcoming empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and policy analysis that extend the literature to provide insights and actionable strategies for sustainable development across industries. The Special Issue will supplement and extend the growing literature on sustainable innovation and digital transformation, integrating these domains and enhancing the understanding of their synergies, firm and industry strategies, and governance needs. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Sustainability impacts of digital economy and innovation projects across diverse industries and geographies.
• Digital sustainability conceptualization—develop or validate theoretical models that integrate digital economy and business innovation with economic, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
• Social aspects among ESG sustainability and its framework to assess and measure digital sustainability.
• Innovation in sustainable business models such as digital entrepreneurship, platform-based sharing economies, new servitization models, digital circular supply chains, etc.
• Sustainability policy and governance approach analysis.

Aligned with the journal’s mission, this Special Issue will contribute to advancing the understanding, quantification, and governance of sustainability in digital business contexts. Submissions will be expected to address key sustainability dimensions such as environmental, economic, social, and governance, and investigate business applications in real-world settings, with attention to policy implications and implementation challenges.

Reference:

1. Azmat, F., Lim, W. M., Moyeen, A., Voola, R., & Gupta, G. (2023). Convergence of business, innovation, and sustainability at the tipping point of the sustainable development goals. Journal of Business Research, 167, 114170.
2. Guandalini, I. (2022). Sustainability through digital transformation: A systematic literature review for research guidance. Journal of Business Research, 148, 456-471.
3. Mäkitie, T., Hanson, J., Damman, S., & Wardeberg, M. (2023). Digital innovation's contribution to sustainability transitions. Technology in Society, 73, 102255.
4. Rosário, A. T., & Dias, J. C. (2022). Sustainability and the digital transition: A literature review. Sustainability, 14(7), 4072.

Dr. Mu Yang
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.

• digital economy
• sustainability transitions
• business innovation
• digital transformation
• circular economy
• socio-technical systems
• sustainable development
• innovation management
• digital inclusion
• digital entrepreneurship