The COVID-19 pandemic has had a direct impact on the manufacturing industry in Malaysia because all economic activities had to be suspended for some time. This study explores the role that eco-innovation capabilities might play in improving sustainable business performance during the ongoing pandemic. This study employs a quantitative method by distributing online questionnaires to 80 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Klang Valley, Malaysia. In the study, the relationship between sustainable business performance and the three variables of eco-innovation capabilities, i.e., eco-product innovation, eco-management innovation and eco-logistic innovation, were determined using multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that two hypotheses are accepted and the other one is rejected. The findings indicate that most manufacturing SMEs in Klang Valley have adopted eco-management innovation and eco-logistic innovation as crucial capabilities for their businesses during the pandemic. However, due to the challenges faced by these SMEs during the pandemic, eco-product innovation was found to have an insignificant relationship with sustainable business performance. It is insignificant because of the low productivity rate observed during the pandemic. Hence, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused manufacturing SMEs in the Klang Valley to not be able to maintain their operations and stay on track. Therefore, this research may contribute to the efforts of policymakers, government agencies and managers of manufacturing SMEs in developing a strong innovation platform on which manufacturing SMEs may rely for support in enhancing their business capacity and performance.

The objective of this study is to look at how Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are applying eco-innovation capabilities in order to sustain their business performance. Eco-innovation capabilities are represented in this study by five different types of practices, with the indication of unexpected circumstances: eco-product innovation, eco-process innovation, eco-organisational innovation, eco-marketing innovation, and eco-technology innovation. The qualitative research approach was used in the study, and the content analysis was based on in-depth interviews with six top-level managers/owners of Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. According to the data, more than half of SMEs acquired eco-innovation capabilities in order to continue their business performance and thrive in the business sector, while having to confront certain hurdles due to unforeseen situations. According to the findings, eco-innovation capabilities encourage SMEs to engage in waste management, recycling or reusing resources, research and development, sustainable goods that utilize customer requests, and the use of environment management machines. Thus, the findings of this study may aid the efforts of government agencies, policymakers, and top-tier manufacturing SMEs in building an exceptional innovation platform on which SMEs may rely for assistance and support in preserving their business performance in the future and beyond.

In the pursuit of development and evaluation, entrepreneurship is the key to unlocking the shackles of poverty and unemployment. However, Pakistani students often catch themselves lacking the catalyst that ignites the entrepreneurial flame due to the absence of the essential knowledge, skills, and creative mindset, which can lead to significant challenges and a dim attitude toward entrepreneurial intentions. The harsh reality is that the rate of new business formation in Pakistan is only 1.5%. Therefore, the study aims to shed light on the impact of entrepreneurial inspiration, entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial awareness on the intentions of Pakistani university students with the mediating effects of entrepreneurial education. Revealing the importance of entrepreneurial education in shaping the minds and desires of the students, seven hypotheses were developed based on social cognitive theory (SCT). A comprehensive survey was used to collect primary data from final-year business students, with a sample size of 865, from seven universities in the Punjab region of Pakistan that provide higher education in entrepreneurship and the data were analyzed in two stages, namely a model measurement and structural model Via Smart PLS 4. The findings clearly augment entrepreneurial inspiration, entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial awareness, which can ignite the flames of entrepreneurship among Pakistani students. Moreover, entrepreneurial education plays a crucial role in mediating relationships and motivating students to choose entrepreneurship as a future occupation. However, the study is restricted to the Punjab region of Pakistan and focuses solely on final-year business students. This study serves as a guiding light of hope for academics, policymakers, and educational institutions to emphasize the need to revamp the business education landscape in Pakistan to foster entrepreneurial passion among our future leaders.

The integration of aquaculture and tourism has emerged as a promising approach for promoting environmental awareness while supporting rural economic development. However, the successful implementation of digital monitoring technologies in aquaculture depends largely on farmers’ technological readiness. This study investigates the readiness of Malaysian aquafarmers to adopt smartphone-based ammonia detection applications within tourism-driven aquaculture settings. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was employed as the theoretical framework to examine how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions influence technology adoption behaviour. A qualitative research design was adopted, using in-depth interviews with Malaysian aquafarmers experienced in managing ammonia levels in aquaculture operations. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings reveal that aquafarmers demonstrate a growing readiness to adopt smartphone-based ammonia monitoring technologies. Three key themes emerged from the analysis: Perceived technological usability and practicality; peer and social influence; and perceived economic, environmental, and tourism-related benefits. Participants highlighted the ease of use of smartphone applications, the importance of peer networks and institutional support, and the potential of these technologies to improve water quality management, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen visitor trust in ecotourism experiences. These findings indicate that digital monitoring technologies can support sustainable aquaculture practices while simultaneously enhancing the transparency and attractiveness of aquaculture-based tourism. The study contributes to the literature by extending the application of the UTAUT framework to tourism-driven aquaculture and by demonstrating how digital technology adoption can support sustainable tourism value creation. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, aquaculture practitioners, and tourism stakeholders seeking to promote digital innovation and sustainable development within Malaysia’s aquaculture sector.

Pakistan continues to face critical natural resource challenges, including water scarcity, inefficient waste management, and unsustainable energy use, posing serious risks to economic resilience and environmental stability. Addressing these issues requires strategic integration of higher education into national frameworks for resource planning, utilisation, and management. This study examines how entrepreneurial education and institutional support influence the formation of entrepreneurial intentions, prioritising resource efficiency among final-year undergraduate business students at private universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and the Natural Resource-Based View, the study employed a quantitative design using survey data from 755 respondents. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), using SmartPLS 4, was used to test the hypothesised relationships. Results indicate that both entrepreneurial education and institutional support significantly enhance students’ intentions to establish ventures designed to optimise natural resource use, reduce waste, and adopt sustainable production practices. However, these effects are diminished by entrepreneurial obstacles such as restricted access to green technologies, inadequate sustainability-focused mentorship, and limited exposure to resource-efficient business models. The findings underscore the need for curriculum reform and institutional frameworks that embed entrepreneurship education into national resource management policies, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and promote circular-economy practices. This alignment can enable higher education institutions to contribute directly to Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) on responsible consumption and production, while advancing Pakistan’s long-term objectives for natural resource conservation and sustainable economic development.