Dear Colleagues,

Small-and-Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), despite their heterogeneity and diversity, have been found to be the backbone of the economic growth and development of the ecosystems of their operations (Muñoz-Pascual et al., 2019; Singh et al., 2009; Valaei et al., 2016). Although in the last decade SMEs have been interlaced with traditional markets, SMEs now also direct their businesses to emerging markets (Malik and Jasińska-Biliczak, 2018). A considerable number of SMEs across the world have gradually become innovative-driven actors (Vrontis et al., 2020; Widya-Hasuti et al., 2018). However, little is known about whether SMEs’ innovative actions are a response to the resource constraints they often face, leading them to seek more effective ways to operate and/or produce (e.g., Widya-Hasuti); how they innovate; and to what extent their innovative actions are sustainability related or sustainability driven (Kleine and Von Hauff, 2009; Kron et al., 2013).

Although, current research is evidenced and based on technology innovation, SMEs innovate beyond technology (Vrontis et al., 2020). There is no clear understanding, however, about the sectors of innovative-driven SMEs, the factors of the external environment affecting their innovative actions, the antecedents to SMEs’ sustainable development, or their ability to innovate by themselves. We seek contributions to expand current knowledge of SMEs’ innovation by exploring various types of innovation and their impact on sustainable development. To shed light in SMEs’ innovation, this Special Issue focuses on innovative-driven SMEs operating in various national and international regions and contexts.

For this Special Issue, we welcome empirical and conceptual studies that have a solid conceptualization, analysis, and synthesis in order to contribute to a better understanding of how innovative-driven SMEs achieve sustainable development, with particular reference to the types of innovation and sustainability behavior.

Studies might focus on, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Types of innovation and SMEs’ sustainable development;
• Business model innovation and SMEs’ sustainability;
• Factors affecting innovative-driven SMEs’ sustainability beyond regional contexts;
• Antecedents to SMEs’ sustainable innovation;
• Stakeholder engagement and SMEs’ innovation;
• Effects of public policies on SMEs’ innovation and sustainable development;
• The impact of national culture on SMEs’ innovation and sustainable development;
• Knowledge acquisition and SMEs’ innovation;
• Strategic partnerships and SMEs’ sustained innovative outcomes;
• Effects of organizational and individual factors on innovation-driven SMEs’ sustainable development.

References

Kiron, D., Kruschwitz, N., Reeves, M., and Goh, E. (2013). The benefits of sustainability-driven innovation. MIT Sloan Management Review, 54(2), 69.

Kleine, A. and Von Hauff, M. (2009). Sustainability-driven implementation of corporate social responsibility: application of the integrative sustainability triangle. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(3), 517.

Klewitz, J. and Hansen, E. G. (2014). Sustainability-oriented innovation of SMEs: a systematic review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 65, 57–75.

Malik, K. and Jasińska-Biliczak, A. (2018). Innovations and other processes as identifiers of contemporary trends in the sustainable development of SMEs: the case of emerging regional economies. Sustainability, 10(5), 1361.

Muñoz-Pascual, L., Curado, C., and Galende, J. (2019). The triple bottom line on sustainable product innovation performance in SMEs: a mixed methods approach. Sustainability, 11(6), 16–89.

Singh, R. K., Garg, S. K., and Deshmukh, S. G. (2009). The competitiveness of SMEs in a globalized economy. Management Research Review, 33(1), 54–65.

Valaei, N., Rezaei, S., and Ismail, W. K. W. (2017). Examining learning strategies, creativity, and innovation at SMEs using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis and PLS path modeling. Journal of Business Research, 70, 224–233.

Vrontis, D., Basile, G., Andreano, M. S., Mazzitelli, A., and Papasolomou, I. (2020). The profile of innovation driven Italian SMEs and the relationship between the firms’ networking abilities and dynamic capabilities. Journal of Business Research, 114, 313–324.

Widya-Hasuti, A., Mardani, A., Streimikiene, D., Sharifara, A., and Fausto Cavallaro, F. (2018). The role of process innovation between firm-specific capabilities and sustainable innovation in SMEs: empirical evidence from Indonesia. Sustainability, 10(7), 22–44.

Prof. Dr. Demetris Vrontis
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Antonino Galati
Dr. Evangelia Siachou
Guest Editors

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• innovative-driven SMEs
• sustainable development
• business model innovation
• open innovation
• stakeholder engagement
• knowledge management