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The Influence of Industry Innovation and Environmental Regulation for the Sustainable Development of Regional Economy

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 May 2026 | Viewed by 1697

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jiayu Fang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Interests: sustainable economic growth; regional economy
Dr. Chao Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Economics and Management, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, China
Interests: environmental economics; energy economics; development economics; Chinese economy; digital finance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The integration of industry innovations and environmental regulations is reshaping the landscape of sustainable development within regional economies. As the fourth industrial revolution unfolds, the transformative technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data analytics, and smart automation are being developed. These advancements are not only enhancing operational efficiencies but also propelling the integration of sustainability into the core of business strategies.

The influence of industry innovations on regional economies is twofold. Firstly, it enables companies to adopt more sustainable practices by optimizing the use of resources, reducing waste, and minimizing environmental footprints through real-time data monitoring and analysis. Secondly, it supports compliance with stringent environmental regulations by providing the tools necessary for continuous monitoring and reporting. However, the successful implementation of industry in driving sustainable development is contingent upon the synergy between innovation and regulation. Policymakers must create an environment that is conducive to the adoption of new technologies while setting clear guidelines that ensure environmental protection and social responsibility.

This Special Issue aims to delve into the multifaceted impact of industry innovation and environmental regulations on sustainable regional economic development. The scope of this Special Issue includes high-quality original research articles that are related (but not limited) to the following topics:

  1. Industry innovation and sustainable development.
  2. Environmental regulation and sustainable development.
  3. The interplay between technological innovation and environmental regulation in promoting regional sustainable development.
  4. The strategies required for regional economies to harness technological innovation for environmental conservation and social well-being.
  5. The challenges and opportunities related to the convergence of industry innovation and environmental regulation.
  6. Artificial intelligence in regional sustainable development.
  7. Machine learning and regional sustainable development.
  8. Data analytics in regional sustainable development.

Dr. Jiayu Fang
Dr. Chao Gao
Guest Editors

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

  • industry innovation
  • environmental regulation
  • sustainable development
  • regional economy
  • artificial intelligence
  • data analytics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 653 KB  
Article
The Nexus of Environmental Protection and Economic Growth in Northern Minority Areas of China Under the Background of Sustainable Climate Policies
by Weifang Cao, Zhenhua Zhang and Yanchao Feng
Sustainability 2025, 17(16), 7178; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167178 - 8 Aug 2025
Viewed by 321
Abstract
Exploring the relationship between economic development and environmental protection holds substantial theoretical value for the sustainable progress of minority regions. This paper initially analyzes the overarching mechanisms governing economic growth and climate change challenges in industrial decarbonization toward carbon neutrality. Subsequently, it conducts [...] Read more.
Exploring the relationship between economic development and environmental protection holds substantial theoretical value for the sustainable progress of minority regions. This paper initially analyzes the overarching mechanisms governing economic growth and climate change challenges in industrial decarbonization toward carbon neutrality. Subsequently, it conducts an empirical analysis utilizing historical economic and environmental data from five provinces to investigate the trajectory of economic development and shifts in environmental quality. The objective of this paper is to flatten the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in northwest minority areas, ensuring the continuous enhancement of environmental quality and green transformation in tandem with economic growth, thereby forging a low-pollution pathway for sustainable development. It is observed that an EKC characteristic exists between the economy and the environment in these regions, evolving from discoordination to primary coordination. The environment and economic development in ethnic minority areas of China are progressing slowly, and there is an urgent need for sustainable development reforms. The environment and economic development in ethnic minority areas of China from 2003 to 2022 are progressing slowly, and there is an urgent need for sustainable development reforms. During the economic development process, minimizing environmental pollution should be a fundamental prerequisite, with a focus on industrial ecological advancement, intensifying governmental environmental protection measures, and boosting green technological innovation to strive for a flattening of the EKC and advance a trajectory toward sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Industry Innovation and Environmental Regulation for the Sustainable Development of Regional Economy)
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20 pages, 830 KB  
Article
The Green Effect of Digital Intelligence in Chinese Cities: An Empirical Investigation Based on Big Data and Machine Learning Methods
by Chao Gao and Jiayu Fang
Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 6728; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17156728 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 471
Abstract
In the digital economy era, digitalization and intelligent technologies have profoundly influenced regional green development. This study uses data from 277 prefecture-level and above cities in China spanning the years 2011 to 2022 and employs a two-way fixed effects model along with machine [...] Read more.
In the digital economy era, digitalization and intelligent technologies have profoundly influenced regional green development. This study uses data from 277 prefecture-level and above cities in China spanning the years 2011 to 2022 and employs a two-way fixed effects model along with machine learning techniques to explore the effect of digital intelligence on regional green development. We find that digital intelligence primarily drives regional green development. Positive impacts show a steady upward trend from 2011 to 2022 and predominate in eastern regions, large cities, and non-resource-dependent cities, while adverse effects are more prevalent in small and resource-dependent cities. Effect magnitude scales with green development levels, exhibiting monotonic amplification. Mechanism tests indicate that digital intelligence improves regional green development by promoting green technological innovation, advancing the industrial structure, and strengthening environmental protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Industry Innovation and Environmental Regulation for the Sustainable Development of Regional Economy)
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19 pages, 2952 KB  
Article
Evaluation of Energy Harvesting for Economically Developing Region for Competent Interexchange Between Energy Supply from Fossil Fuel and Renewable Energy from Solar PV
by Bantubenzani Nelson Mdlolo and Oludolapo Akanni Olanrewaju
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5910; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135910 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 478
Abstract
The interchanging energy systems are vital, as fossil fuel, on the other hand, is running out of time as its resources are facing scarcity and continue to endanger human life by having a huge contribution to climate change. The solar power still faces [...] Read more.
The interchanging energy systems are vital, as fossil fuel, on the other hand, is running out of time as its resources are facing scarcity and continue to endanger human life by having a huge contribution to climate change. The solar power still faces the challenge of not being easily sustainable after implementation, but promising investment soon. This study aims to investigate the possibilities of switching from fossil fuel to solar PV in the region of KwaZulu Natal. The study compares regression results of solar power in different categories to elaborate on the solar power performance. It further predicts solar power performance using a multiple regression method. The adopted multiple regression also revealed the high possibility of solar power performance of 0.75 r2-value with a tolerable error of 0.25. All challenges facing solar power are investigated using historical data. However, more work still needs to be done to investigate the potential growth of solar power in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Industry Innovation and Environmental Regulation for the Sustainable Development of Regional Economy)
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