Mapping the Research Landscape of Sustainable Startups: A Bibliometric Perspective

Giulio Valerio Corbelli ()
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Giulio Valerio Corbelli: Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara

No 226, SEEDS Working Papers from SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies

Abstract: This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the academic literature on sustainable startups, mapping the evolution, structure, and thematic orientation of the field in the decade following the introduction of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using a dataset of 984 peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in Scopus between 2015 and 2025, the analysis combines descriptive indicators with network-based techniques, including co-citation, co-authorship, and keyword co-occurrence analyses. The results reveal a sharp and sustained growth in scholarly attention to sustainable startups, accompanied by increasing geographic diversification and interdisciplinary engagement within the social sciences. While publication output is concentrated in a limited number of countries and journals—most notably sustainability-oriented and energy-focused outlets—the intellectual structure of the field is organized around six main thematic clusters, spanning entrepreneurial ecosystems, eco-innovation and circular economy, sustainable business models, digitalization, energy and climate change, and social responsibility. A small number of highly influential authors and research groups play a central bridging role, facilitating knowledge diffusion across otherwise fragmented research streams. Beyond documenting publication trends, this bibliometric mapping clarifies the conceptual boundaries of sustainable startup research and highlights persistent gaps, particularly the limited integration of sustainability-oriented startups into core entrepreneurship theory and the lack of standardized approaches to measuring environmental and social impact. By explicitly acknowledging the trade-offs inherent in bibliometric indicators— especially with respect to journal reputation and non-measurable qualitative dimensions—this study positions bibliometrics as a complementary tool for framing and contextualizing empirical research rather than as a normative evaluation of scientific quality. Overall, the findings depict a rapidly maturing research field in which sustainable startups are increasingly recognized as key agents of systemic transition, linking innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. The study offers a structured and replicable overview that informs future theoretical development and empirical investigation in sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Sustainable startups; Sustainable entrepreneurship; Bibliometric analysis; Circular economy; Sustainable business models; Innovation; SDGs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41 pages
Date: 2026-01, Revised 2026-01
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http://www.sustainability-seeds.org/papers/RePec/srt/wpaper/0226.pdf First version, 2026 (application/pdf)
http://www.sustainability-seeds.org/papers/RePec/srt/wpaper/0226.pdf Revised version, 2026 (application/pdf)

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