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Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (17 October 2022) | Viewed by 21391

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute of Economics and Management, Penza State University, Penza 440039, Russia
Interests: innovation ecosystem development; educational ecosystem, economic growth; national welfare; sustainable development; regional economy; forecasting; digital economy; sustainable education; blockchain platforms

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current crisis has highlighted the need to revise the policy of economic growth and globalization towards the search for new sustainable models of economic development with an emphasis on employment, the quality of life of the population and environmental improvement. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to promote sustainable economic growth through higher levels of productivity and implementation of technological innovations. Innovation is considered to be a crucial factor, which can improve the competitiveness of firms and ensure sustainability.

Technological, digital, environmental, and political trends swiftly and universally have covered all social and economic processes. Notwithstanding, many open issues exist in literature about the critical role of digital technologies in sustainable economic development that involve firms, universities, startups, academics, and so on. With this in mind, we look for theoretical and empirical research able to investigate a variety of issues, such as:

  • Sustainable business model developing cases
  • Non-traditional methodologies such as simulation, agent-based modelling, network analysis, and system dynamics for sustainable development in different spheres (economic, educational, social, etc.)
  • Analysis of the relationship among the development of digital technologies, sustainability-led innovations and open innovation approaches
  • Identification of influencing factors linked to the exploitation of sustainability-led innovations by industrial enterprises
  • Ecosystem approaches to sustainable socioeconomic development
  • Analysis of the role of digital tools able to nurture innovative sustainable development in different industries
  • Evaluation of the contribution of digital technologies to innovation ecosystems development: regional, national and local level
  • Analysis of the impact of digital technologies on organizational and innovation performances
  • Investigation of the relationship between the institutional entrepreneurial environment and innovation outcomes: regional, national, and local levels
  • Identification of moderating/mediating factors of the relationship between sustainable development processes and key business outcomes for industrial enterprises.

Dr. Leyla A. Gamidullaeva
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

  • innovation ecosystem
  • industry
  • sustainability-led innovations
  • innovation projects
  • sustainability
  • circular economy
  • innovation
  • technology
  • human resources
  • stakeholders
  • smart city
  • sustainable education
  • sustainable tourism
  • digital technologies
  • sustainable enterprises
  • open innovations

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3457 KiB  
Article
Effective Implementation of Integrated Area Development Based on Consumer Attractiveness Assessment
by Ilya Zelenskiy, Danila Parygin, Oksana Savina, Alexey Finogeev and Alexander Gurtyakov
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16239; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316239 - 5 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1521
Abstract
This article examines the 11th UN Sustainable Development Goal through the lens of the needs of citizens. The study proposes to compare the means and goals of integrated area development (IAD) and sustainable development. It was proposed to implement a decision support system [...] Read more.
This article examines the 11th UN Sustainable Development Goal through the lens of the needs of citizens. The study proposes to compare the means and goals of integrated area development (IAD) and sustainable development. It was proposed to implement a decision support system for choosing options for the area development, based on the assessment of indicators for achieving the desired result. The purpose of the article is to consider the possibility of using the attractiveness of the territory for potential consumers as such an indicator. The calculation method, as well as methods for collecting, filtering, and processing open sources of data on the state of the urban environment, were developed to evaluate this indicator. The obtained methods were tested on a sample of apartments in the Volgograd, Russia, in order to verify the adequacy of the proposed indicator. A comparison of the dynamics of the resulting assessments of attractiveness and the market prices of the studied apartments showed a correlation and adequacy of the proposed methods for practical application. The main limitation remains the need for large-scale collection and preliminary processing of data for the assessment, as well as setting up of the assessment method configuration: criteria, scales, etc. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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19 pages, 3362 KiB  
Article
Tools and Technologies for Sustainable Territorial Development in the Context of a Quadruple Innovation Helix
by Danila Parygin, Natalia Sadovnikova, Leyla Gamidullaeva, Anton Finogeev and Nikolay Rashevskiy
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9086; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159086 - 25 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2101
Abstract
The study of the problem of sustainable development of urban areas led to the understanding of the important role that population involvement plays in solving the issues related to forming a comfortable urban environment. It is normal practice to take into account the [...] Read more.
The study of the problem of sustainable development of urban areas led to the understanding of the important role that population involvement plays in solving the issues related to forming a comfortable urban environment. It is normal practice to take into account the proposals and recommendations of citizens and organizations when making decisions in the field of territorial development. Nevertheless, the implementation of participatory governance mechanisms faces significant difficulties. This is primarily due to the lack of effective tools for analyzing the opinion of citizens and technologies for integrating urban communities into existing institutions of governance. This article discusses the ways of organizing expert polls based on the principles of “Socratic dialogue”. The idea of using social networks for testing and promoting urban development projects by analyzing social reactions to various urban initiatives is considered. The possibility of predicting public opinion about a specific solution for urban development using historical data from social networks has been investigated. An approach to the gamification of work with a social response to the urban environment state through virtual interactions with infrastructure objects is proposed. The prospects for gamification to motivate civic participation and improve the efficiency of feedback mechanisms between the city and its residents are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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18 pages, 1506 KiB  
Article
An Assessment Approach to Circular Business Models within an Industrial Ecosystem for Sustainable Territorial Development
by Leyla Gamidullaeva, Nadezhda Shmeleva, Tatyana Tolstykh and Alexey Shmatko
Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020704 - 9 Jan 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2224
Abstract
In this work, the authors have made an attempt to develop a methodological approach to substantiate the socio-economic efficiency of enterprise performance within an industrial ecosystem in the context of a circular economy. The proposed approach has been verified via a case study [...] Read more.
In this work, the authors have made an attempt to develop a methodological approach to substantiate the socio-economic efficiency of enterprise performance within an industrial ecosystem in the context of a circular economy. The proposed approach has been verified via a case study of the industrial ecosystem in Novokuznetsk city. Based on the calculations, it has been evidenced that the creation of an industrial ecosystem in the region where the city is located would eliminate area sources of pollution and improve the quality of life of the population, which would advance regional sustainable development and strengthen territorial attractiveness for citizens. Thus, having used the proposed methodology, the prospects for the implementation of circular business models by enterprises in order to increase the efficiency of resource use and balanced and sustainable economic development of a territory have been substantiated. The transition to a circular economy can support the creation of favorable environmental conditions and increase the local community resilience, well-being, and quality of life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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17 pages, 735 KiB  
Article
The Importance of Stakeholders in Managing a Safe City
by Wioletta Wereda, Natalia Moch and Anna Wachulak
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010244 - 27 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3288
Abstract
Contemporary cities are complex systems in which there are many interactions and dependencies in relation to the environment. Currently, the development of cities and their safety are among the most important international socio-economic processes. The movement of people to larger agglomerations from smaller [...] Read more.
Contemporary cities are complex systems in which there are many interactions and dependencies in relation to the environment. Currently, the development of cities and their safety are among the most important international socio-economic processes. The movement of people to larger agglomerations from smaller towns creates a variety of relationships between actors and often leads to very complicated lives in urban space. Features of contemporary cities include urbanization, personal development opportunities, labor markets, and infrastructure, as well as technological and cybernetic networks that optimize all the processes taking place in agglomerations. It should be emphasized that the main goal of public management in urban space is to create various solutions in the field of safety and thus to improve the quality of. In this respect, the role and influence of stakeholders on the processes of smart and safe city development are important. At each stage of activity, the City Council, local communities, economic entities, scientific institutions, and municipal enterprises are important for a city’s safety. This article emphasizes the importance of stakeholders in the process of managing a safe city. The article presents a literature review, as well as research results based on the example of Polish cities, presenting the importance of stakeholders in managing safe cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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19 pages, 8758 KiB  
Article
The Relevance of Videos as a Practical Tool for Communication and Dissemination in Horizon2020 Thematic Networks
by Elena Feo, Hannes Mareen, Sylvia Burssens and Pieter Spanoghe
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13116; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313116 - 26 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1976
Abstract
Thematic networks (TNs) are Horizon2020 projects promoted by the European Innovation Partnership Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) that collect existing knowledge and best practices on a given theme in agriculture and forestry. Their purpose is to make these available in easily understandable formats [...] Read more.
Thematic networks (TNs) are Horizon2020 projects promoted by the European Innovation Partnership Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) that collect existing knowledge and best practices on a given theme in agriculture and forestry. Their purpose is to make these available in easily understandable formats for users such as farmers/foresters and advisors. Videos are a powerful tool for communication and dissemination about project outcomes; thus, they are frequently used as part of project activities. Despite the large number of videos that have been produced by TNs, only a few have reached a high number of views. Hence, most have not reached a wide public, decreasing the impact of TNs’ outputs. This paper analyzes several characteristics of TN videos in order to suggest best practices. That is, we investigated whether each characteristic influences the number of views or average percentage watched. Using the analysis, we suggest several best practices. For example, future TNs should show practical content prioritizing farmers as a speaker and translate videos in more than one language. Better involvement of project partners increases the contact with farmers; thus, outcomes are more easily spread, and the chance of being applied increases. To increase the visibility of videos, a user-friendly digital knowledge platform linked to demonstration activities and peer-to-peer exchange will improve the sharing of knowledge. This will further enhance a TN’s impact and sustainability in agricultural and forestry innovation in the longer term. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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24 pages, 2688 KiB  
Article
Cross-Sectoral Digital Platform as a Tool for Innovation Ecosystem Development
by Leyla Gamidullaeva, Tatyana Tolstykh, Andrey Bystrov, Alexey Radaykin and Nadezhda Shmeleva
Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11686; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111686 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3223
Abstract
At present, issues of ecosystem self-organization and the mechanisms for their sustainable development have been insufficiently explored in academic literature. The key idea of our research is that for enterprises interacting in different industries based on a network partnership, a special tool is [...] Read more.
At present, issues of ecosystem self-organization and the mechanisms for their sustainable development have been insufficiently explored in academic literature. The key idea of our research is that for enterprises interacting in different industries based on a network partnership, a special tool is needed to ensure the openness of interaction between participants in the transfer of knowledge, technology, information, and resources. The authors argue that the development and practical implementation of a cross-sectoral digital ecosystem platform will allow for the synchronizing of the scientific and technological progress of several industries, making the most effective use of the synergistic effect from the interaction of ecosystem actors and ensuring the transparency and openness of the ongoing processes therein. The authors demonstrate their propositions with the example of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) industry. The proposed model and mechanism of cross-sectoral interaction can be replicated in different technological niches, such as robotics, neurotechnology, quantum technologies, etc. The conclusions arising from the conducted research provide scientists, government bodies, and decision-makers with the necessary information for a better understanding of practical mechanisms and tools that allow for the implementation of self-organization and sustainable development in modern innovation ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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17 pages, 1690 KiB  
Article
The Convergence Model of Education for Sustainability in the Transition to Digital Economy
by Mikhail Deev, Leyla Gamidullaeva, Alexey Finogeev, Anton Finogeev and Sergey Vasin
Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11441; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011441 - 16 Oct 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2341
Abstract
The paper studies the problem of updating educational programs and content, taking into account changing requirements of standards and employers for qualifications and competencies of specialists. First, we show that the updating process in transition to digital economy is associated with the transition [...] Read more.
The paper studies the problem of updating educational programs and content, taking into account changing requirements of standards and employers for qualifications and competencies of specialists. First, we show that the updating process in transition to digital economy is associated with the transition to the convergence model of education providing its sustainability perspective. Furthermore, we propose the technique and develop basic models and methods for updating based on the convergence approach, for assessing the degree of convergence of competency models and educational content. The problems of collecting, consolidating, and extracting information on the required competencies from vacancy advertisements in open sources on the Internet are also considered. The convergence approach to updating educational programs is being introduced and tested in the information and learning environment of Penza State University (Penza, Russia). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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12 pages, 1917 KiB  
Article
Management of Externalities in the Context of Sustainable Development of the Russian Arctic Zone
by Vera P. Samarina, Tatiana P. Skufina, Diana Yu. Savon and Alexey I. Shinkevich
Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7749; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147749 - 12 Jul 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2475
Abstract
The territory of the Arctic is of interest from the point of view of the strategic development of the economy. However, the industrialization of the Arctic zone is accompanied by both a positive and a negative influence on the country’s socio-economic development. An [...] Read more.
The territory of the Arctic is of interest from the point of view of the strategic development of the economy. However, the industrialization of the Arctic zone is accompanied by both a positive and a negative influence on the country’s socio-economic development. An analytical review of the research which has been published previously allows us to discuss the issue of sustainable development in the Arctic through the prism of the theory of externalities. Considering this, the paper examines some relevant issues from the standpoints of the concept of sustainable development and scientific and technological progress. Against the background of the identified problems, the purpose of the research is to clarify management decisions in the field of internalization of the externalities of economic development of the Russian Arctic zone. As research methods, the authors have applied comparative analysis, dynamic analysis, the coefficient method, correlational analysis and cluster analysis. An analytical review of scientific works, research tooling and a statistical database concerning the development of the Russian Arctic zone provided the following scientific results: the category of “externalities” in the context of industrialization of the Arctic zone’s territories and their systematization in a number of areas (environmental, innovation, investment, infrastructure, social, etc.) has been clarified; some trends in the degree of neutralization of negative environmental externalities in terms of environmental problems (pollution capture, waste disposal, recycling and wastewater treatment) have been identified; the dynamics of investment per unit of environmental pollution in the context of environmental approaches have been elucidated; the efficiency of investments in environmental preservation measures in the territories of the Russian Arctic zone have been evaluated; positive innovative externality from the investment of own funds in the fixed capital of enterprises have been revealed; the typology of the subjects of the Russian Federation that form part of the Arctic zone, according to the criteria of the intensity of costs for neutralization of negative externalities (territories with high, moderate and low intensity of costs) have been suggested; and a package of measures in order to manage the external effects of economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in the context of sustainable development has been proposed. The practical significance of the results obtained lies in the possibility of taking all of them into account in the implementation of the state program “Socio-economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation”, contributing to the qualitative development of the territories of the Russian Arctic and improving the well-being of the population of the corresponding constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation Development and Sustainability in the Digital Age)
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