Roles of innovation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

As we approach the midpoint of the Agenda 2030 programme, scientists are increasingly reliant on innovative solutions to help bring us closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to analyse the intellectual structure of academic literature on the SDGs, Innovation, and Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).Using a database of 544 English-language publications from Scopus and Web of Science published between 2015 and 2023, we employ a three-pronged approach comprising bibliometric analyses, SDG mapping and text-mining techniques. Our findings indicate that innovations in one cluster defined in the analysis display economic, social and environmental dimensions. Furthermore, the underlying roles of innovation in the literature are found to relate to promoting sustainable development, driving economic growth, enhancing enterprise performance and strengthening policies. Within the sample literature, all 17 goals were identified by the SDG Mapper. Among the 5Ps (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships), there was a clear preponderance of articles on Prosperity. The text mining of titles and abstracts indicates that the term “sti” is less commonly associated with the SGDs than “innovation”. However, there is some evidence that the term “innovation” is used in titles and abstracts to attract a broader audience. Our study highlights research gaps and identifies opportunities for future studies.

Keywords

• O3