Impact of Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Economic Development

Dear Colleagues,

Entrepreneurship has been considered a factor that promotes economic growth, improving the social well-being and quality of community life through generating employment and creating value. In fact, entrepreneurs, through business opportunities, introduce technologies that allow them to be competitive and satisfy market demands. However, in recent years, the significant environmental damage associated with such economic activities and the technological progress generated has been highlighted.

In attempting to identify concrete solutions to this problem, significant attention has been paid to the need to “undertake in a sustainable way”, for example, associating the practices undertaken by organizations with social, economic, and environmental issues (Volkmann et al., 2021). Entrepreneurs can support social transformation towards more sustainable products and services by providing creative and innovative solutions that reduce environmental risks (Schaltegger and Wagner, 2011; Shepherd and Patzelt, 2011).

The literature on the relationship between entrepreneurship and innovation has improved our understanding of the processes underlying enterprise and the creation of sustainable entrepreneurship, examining the factors that influence sustainable economic development and the impact of the latter on the global economy (Abad-Segura and González-Zamar, 2021).

Furthermore, it has been suggested that support from social networks, collaboration with universities and local communities, government policies, and institutional support are factors that could mitigate or reduce these problems (see Wang, 2022). For this reason, economic growth has become an important debate, and the arguments supporting such debates are mainly based on sustainable economic development (Aquino et al., 2018).

However, although previous studies in the literature have improved our understanding of the dynamics that come into play in the relationship between sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation and their impact on economic growth, numerous studies suggest the need to deepen knowledge in this area (see for example Anand et al., 2021; Haldar, 2019). Therefore, this Special Issue aims to provide more knowledge and understanding of the relationship between sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation and their effects on economic activity in both developed and developing economies.

Specifically, we ask for scientific contributions that provide help in understanding the foundations, dynamics, and outcomes of adopting sustainable entrepreneurship, innovative approaches, and management practices in both small and large organizations (family and non-family businesses), together with how this affects the well-being and economic prosperity of society in the short and long term. While we encourage papers focused on the following themes, the following relevant topics are also welcome:

• Barriers to sustainable business model innovations;
• Factors that promote sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation;
• Values and entrepreneurship in a sustainable society;
• The promotion and support of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship in developing economies;
• Key factors for more efficient and responsible use of natural resources;
• The impact of sustainable practices and innovation on economic performance;
• Artificial intelligence and communication technology adoption and innovation for sustainable entrepreneurship;
• Business model innovation and sustainability;
• Differences in strategies and approaches for sustainable entrepreneurship between large and small businesses;
• Differences in management approaches for sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation between family businesses and non-family businesses;
• Gender, sustainable entrepreneurship, and innovation;
• The role of institutions/organizational policies/social networks in supporting or limiting sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation.

Prof. Dr. José Carlos Sánchez-García
Prof. Dr. Brizeida Hernández-Sánchez
Dr. Giuseppina María Cardella
Guest Editors

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• sustainable economic growth
• sustainable development goals
• sustainable innovation
• sustainable entrepreneurship
• sustainable technology
• sustainable knowledge-based organizations
• financial resources
• natural resources
• sustainable environment
• management for sustainable enterprises.