Business Innovation and Sustainability through Internet of Things

Dear Colleagues,

In today's rapidly changing and globally connected world, business innovation and sustainability are two essential components. The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a game-changing technology that can significantly contribute to sustainable development and business innovation. Let us examine the significance of this theme in greater detail in this Special Issue: Business Innovation and Sustainability through the Internet of Things.

With this vision in mind, this Special Issue is dedicated to the following themes, and we extend an invitation for the submission of your research to help further advance science:

Business Innovation:

(i) Competitive advantage: IoT allows businesses to collect enormous amounts of data from connected devices and sensors, enabling them to gain useful insights into consumer behavior, market trends, and operational efficiency. This leads to better decision-making and a competitive edge. For instance, IoT-enabled products like connected cars, wearable technology, and smart homes have disrupted established markets and generated new revenue streams.

(ii) New revenue streams: By utilizing IoT, businesses can develop innovative products, services, and business models. The data collected can be analyzed to create new revenue streams and opportunities for growth.

(iii) Process optimization: IoT can improve various business processes such as inventory tracking, supply chain management, and preventative maintenance. This optimization results in increased productivity, decreased costs, and improved efficiency.

Sustainability:

(i) Resource efficiency: IoT enables real-time monitoring and management of resource consumption. For example, smart grids can regulate energy distribution, smart buildings can control energy usage, and smart agriculture can manage water consumption during farming. Effective resource management reduces waste and helps achieve sustainability goals.

(ii) Environmental monitoring: IoT sensors can monitor environmental aspects such as air quality, water quality, and waste management. This information helps identify environmental risks, encourage sustainable behaviors, and safeguard ecosystems.

(iii) Circular economy: IoT makes it possible to track, monitor, and optimize a product's entire lifecycle, facilitating the implementation of circular economy principles. This includes product development, production, use, and end-of-life management, resulting in less waste and more recycling and reusability.

The synergy between innovation and sustainability:

(i) IoT-driven innovation can lead to sustainable business practices, helping organizations reduce their environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable future.

(ii) Sustainable practices can also drive innovation by opening up new market opportunities, fostering consumer trust and loyalty, and attracting socially conscious investors.

(iii) Adopting sustainability as a core business value can motivate employees, attract socially conscious investors, and increase customer loyalty.

Organizations have tremendous opportunities to prosper in a rapidly changing world, thanks to the convergence of business innovation and sustainability through IoT. By leveraging IoT technologies, businesses can foster innovation, increase operational effectiveness, and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Albérico Travassos Rosário
Prof. Dr. Joana Carmo Dias
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.

• business innovation
• competitive advantage
• new revenue streams
• process optimization
• sustainability
• resource efficiency
• environmental monitoring
• circular economy
• sustainable practices business
• the synergy between innovation and sustainability
• Internet of Things
• IoT-driven