Sustainable and Innovative: How Can Open Innovation Enhance Sustainability Practices?

Guilherme Francisco do Prado, Jovani Taveira de Souza () and Cassiano Moro Piekarski
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Guilherme Francisco do Prado: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production Systems Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil
Jovani Taveira de Souza: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production Systems Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil
Cassiano Moro Piekarski: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production Systems Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-25

Abstract: Sustainability has been regarded as a central aspect for the short-, mid-, and long-term survival of businesses. This paradigm brings forth the need for companies to keep up with market competition while addressing the sustainable development aspects of their operations. With the emergence of tools and techniques such as machine learning and artificial intelligence language models, the decline of market entry barriers has prompted organizations to innovate and stay competitive through traditional innovation or employing open innovation (OI). The purpose of this paper is to investigate how OI can enhance sustainability practices. To this end, a systematic review using Methodi Ordinatio was conducted. We investigated authors’ objectives and overarching topics revolving around sustainability and OI. Three areas of opportunity were identified: (i) the literature on sustainability and OI is prolific, and international collaboration is encouraged; (ii) aspects of sustainability and OI are viewed through the prism of environmental concerns, sustainable innovation, social dimensions, principles of circular economy, sustainable business models, and pathways to sustainable growth; and (iii) collaboration, crowdsourcing, knowledge management, and stakeholder engagement are some of the most frequently addressed issues. Future research can be conducted on these avenues to produce significant results for the area of sustainable OI.

Keywords: sustainable innovation; open innovation; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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