Technology and Innovation: A Systematic Literature Review on Sustainability Research in the Amazon

Abstract

Society relies on technology and innovation (T&I) to tackle some of its great challenges, and it has been given even more importance since the increasing concern over sustainability issues. A particular concern is the Amazon rainforest’s impact on sustainability and what this means for the planet. The paper analyzes how research on technology and innovation in the Amazon region is addressing sustainability issues. This wide-ranging intentional approach has led to an integrative picture, providing the first systematic literature review that connects these themes within a specific region, resulting in 222 academic publications from 1992 to 2020. The main findings indicate that: (1) 40.1% of the studies relate to the management field, which percentage increased significantly after 2015; (2) the dispersion of the studied themes confirms the plurality of Amazonian environmental wealth, but their lack of integration represents a constraint to the development of public policies; (3) market and public policies are both powerful but conflicting innovation drivers; (4) although studies on innovations address greenhouse gas emissions, innovation also includes forest degradation activities; and (5) there are different drivers and applications behind initiatives in technology and innovation, which depend on the local context.

Keywords

• technology and innovation
• sustainability
• global warming
• amazon; systematic literature review