Towards a Sustainable Digital Economy: The Role of Knowledge Search in Green Innovation

Chang Hyun Kim, Kyung Yul Lee and Youngsun Kwon

33rd European Regional ITS Conference, Edinburgh, 2025: Digital innovation and transformation in uncertain times from International Telecommunications Society (ITS)

Abstract: This study explores how knowledge search depth and breadth in green patenting influence environmental innovation in the mobile industry, a sector facing increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact. Using a panel of 42 mobile firms from 2001 to 2023, we find that search depth exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with green innovation, suggesting that while leveraging internal knowledge initially boosts environmental innovation, excessive reliance can hinder progress due to organizational rigidity. Conversely, search breadth demonstrates a consistently positive effect, indicating that expanding external knowledge sources enhances a firm's capacity for sustainable innovation. These findings underscore the strategic importance of balancing internal and external knowledge strategies to foster green innovation in the mobile sector.

Keywords: Green Innovation; Knowledge Search; Mobile Industry; Sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-sbm and nep-tid
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:itse25:331286

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