Interest in the sustainable materials sector is growing and accelerated. These materials are designed to reduce the use of non-renewable resources, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and be recyclable or biodegradable, making them highly attractive to both academia and industry. Constantly updating on innovations in this field is essential to speed up the transition to a circular economy and significantly reduce environmental impact. The paper analyzes the current status and future trends of the scientific literature for seven sustainability-related materials categories, such as sustainable materials, green materials, biomaterials, eco-friendly materials, alternative materials, material recycling and material recovery from complex products, and sustainable applied materials. Next, it assesses the impacts, benefits, and challenges associated with sustainable materials from the scientific literature according to six research fields (impact on the environment, performance and durability, economic efficiency, health and safety, social sustainability, and implementation and use). Furthermore, the paper outlines recent advances in sustainable material design, including biomimicry, nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, 3D printing, and sustainable composite materials. Additionally, a bibliometric analysis of 545 studies on sustainable materials published between 1999 and 2023 was conducted based on eight criteria, namely trend, source, author, country, keywords, thematic, co-citation, and content. The findings show that the sustainability-related materials categories have a particular distribution among the domains. Also, the thematic map analysis outlines that biopolymers, nanocellulose, and biocomposites are critical research areas for developing sustainable materials.

It has been extensively debated how social innovation, circularity, and energy transition may all be considered environmental, social, and governance (ESG) components from a sustainability perspective. To comprehend the conceptual development of this subject in the academic literature, few studies, however, tackle the problems above by reviewing earlier research on the subject. By developing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique, this study aims to address the current and anticipated advancements in social innovation, energy transition, and circularity. As a result, we create two metasynthesis analyses related to “social innovation–energy transition” and “social innovation–circularity.” In the first analysis, the three databases Web of Science, Scopus, and JSTOR had a total of 1767 studies and reports, and in the second analysis, we reviewed the work from a total of 466 studies and reports. We emphasize that implementing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices require social innovation, circularity, and energy transition. The study’s key contributions are the five cluster themes classification for the two metasynthesis analyses, which point to potential future directions for both firms and governments to pursue some macro-level goals concerning energy transition and circularity through social innovation.

During the last few decades, economists have tried to find a solution to eradicate poverty, especially since the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals were launched. The target of Goal 1 is to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. While income inequality and unemployment have played a major part in contributing to poor wellbeing in the world, other factors such as political instability, a lack of good investment opportunities, and living conditions have contributed to it as well. Thus, in this work, the authors analyze the factors that impact poverty and compare these results between countries within the European Union and post-communist countries that include the Western Balkan (WB) countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The method used consists of both descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis using the fixed effect model where poverty is taken as the dependent variable. The data used in this study are gathered from the World Bank and Legatum Prosperity, during the period between 2009 and 2018. The results show that income inequality does indeed impact the further progress of poverty for both the EU and WB, while economic development in terms of GDP is shown to have a more significant impact on EU than in WB, where the most significant impact was through income per capita. Other factors such as education, investment environment, and especially unemployment also significantly impacted on decreasing the poverty rate in both economic zones.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the digital entrepreneurial intentions of Albanian youth, identify the obstacles they face in starting digital businesses and examine their preferences regarding the types of businesses they aspire to establish. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is used as a framework to analyze these factors. Design/methodology/approach: Primary data were collected via questionnaires distributed in public and private universities. In a sample of 325 students, Structural Equation Modeling with Confirmatory Factor Analysis, path analysis and machine learning-based text analysis were used. Findings: This study reveals significant impacts of innovativeness, attitude towards entrepreneurship, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy on digital entrepreneurial intentions among Albanian students. Additionally, text mining highlights a strong preference for digital entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications: The theoretical contributions of this study include applying Structural Equation Modeling to reveal insights into the impact of entrepreneurial factors and obstacles. The findings can inform policymakers and educators in designing targeted interventions to support student entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, the limitations of this study encompass a small sample size, lack of time series and panel data and the absence of an evaluation of the impact of education system practices, along with the need to investigate the effects of young population emigration from Albania to the EU. Originality/value: This research contributes to the understanding of digital entrepreneurial intentions and behavior by using TPB in the Albanian context, offering access to a diverse dataset from Albanian universities, testing the direct impact of innovativeness on entrepreneurial behavior and pioneering the use of machine learning techniques for text analysis. Thus, it provides novel insights into the entrepreneurial landscape in Albania. In addition, this work can drive initiatives to support student entrepreneurship and bridge the gap between academia and industry in Albania.

Incorporating circular economy principles into forward-thinking public procurement strategies enhances sustainability through the promotion of resource efficiency, sustainable sourcing, and extended producer responsibility. This approach not only encourages innovation and collaboration among suppliers but also drives the development of solutions aligned with circular economy goals. The ultimate result is a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly outcome in procurement. This article seeks to investigate the intersection of circular economy principles within the framework of an innovative public procurement system. The study explores the influence of globalization on this innovative public procurement paradigm, addressing both the challenges and opportunities inherent in the process. The study conceptualizes Innovative Public Procurement (IPP) as a strategic approach where public entities acquire goods, services, works, and utilities, emphasizing an optimal balance between price and quality. The central goal is to generate innovative benefits for both entities and society, all while minimizing adverse environmental effects. Employing traditional research methods, including the monographic method, document analysis, and comparison, the study illustrates how public procurement practices can be opened to innovators, including start-ups and innovative SMEs. The findings shed light on the challenges faced by these entities in navigating the procurement landscape, while emphasizing the potential opportunities arising from the synergy between innovative procurement practices and the circular economy. By adopting a holistic perspective that considers the full lifecycle costs and environmental impacts of goods and services, procurement decisions can prioritize options offering superior long-term value. This contributes to the broader transition towards a circular economy, effectively minimizing adverse effects on the environment...