Regional and Urban Innovation for Sustainable Competitiveness in the Digital Age
A special issue of Urban Science (ISSN 2413-8851).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 June 2026 | Viewed by 17
Special Issue Editors
Interests: regional and urban competitiveness; innovation systems and smart specialization; circular economy and sustainable development; strategic procurement and Procurement 4.0; digital transformation in public services; organizational performance and public sector management; consumer behavior and green marketing
Interests: sustainable urban development; urban tourism and destination competitiveness; strategic management in cultural and creative sectors; city branding and place marketing; circular economy and public procurement strategies; urban governance and territorial planning; consumer behavior and green marketing; digital transformation in public and cultural services; strategic approaches to regional innovation systems; public policy and renewable energy transitions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: urban development and regional competitiveness; urban branding and city marketing strategies; sustainable tourism and cultural policy in cities; public administration and European governance; strategic management of cultural organizations; urban innovation and digital transformation; place-based development and territorial cohesion; integrated urban planning and smart city strategies; country branding and national image; policy evaluation and strategic planning for sustainable communities
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Regional and urban areas today face converging pressures ranging from digital transformation and climate challenges to global economic restructuring. In this shifting landscape, innovation and competitiveness emerge as useful levers for achieving sustainable and inclusive development. Cities and regions alike are being called upon to redesign their economic models, encourage circularity, and integrate digital technologies in order to remain resilient and future ready.
This Special Issue invites contributions that explore how regional and urban innovation ecosystems can support competitiveness in the age of sustainability and digitalization. We seek both empirical and theoretical papers that address new forms of collaboration between public authorities, businesses, and communities; the role of smart specialization in regional strategy; or how Procurement 4.0 and digital infrastructure impact performance, resilience, and green growth.
We are particularly interested in empirical and comparative studies, policy-driven analyses, and case studies that highlight how theory connects with real-world urban or regional transitions. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Regional innovation and smart specialization strategies;
- Competitiveness and resilience in urban and regional economies;
- Circular economy models at local and regional levels;
- Digital transformation in city and regional governance;
- Strategic procurement, infrastructure, and public service innovation;
- Urban–rural linkages in innovation ecosystems;
- Entrepreneurship and digital hubs in regional development;
- Data-driven tools for territorial competitiveness and planning;
- Governance frameworks for innovation-led sustainability;
- Policy integration across regional and urban levels.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Ovidiu-Iulian Bunea
Dr. Razvan-Andrei Corbos
Prof. Dr. Ruxandra Irina Popescu
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. Urban Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1600 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
- regional innovation
- economic development
- competitiveness
- digital transformation
- sustainability
- circular economy
- smart specialization
- strategic procurement
- urban resilience
- territorial governance
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