Business model design is critical for a startup. A successful design must be developed and tested with limited resources and under conditions of great uncertainty related to both internal and external factors. At the same time, this lack of definition is an excellent opportunity for business model innovation. In this paper, we present the Innovation Pivot Framework, a practical tool aimed at assisting entrepreneurs in identifying alternative uses of their innovation and deciding which applications and target markets they should pursue first. This process leads to a formulation of the source of competitive advantage based on the innovation envisioned. This tool may be useful both at the first moment of a startup’s conceptualization and when the new venture needs to redefine its competitive advantage. Beyond the area of entrepreneurship, it could also be an effective analysis tool to achieve better business model designs in well-established companies.

Innovation supports the development of Sustainable Supply Chains (SSCs) through Sustainability-Oriented Innovation (SOI) practices. This study aims to validate and further develop, through its practical application, a baseline SOI practices framework, which can be used as a benchmark model. While applying and validating this framework, several new, conceptually distinctive SOI practices were identified that were not included in the proposed baseline model. This led the authors to propose expanding the initial baseline model with a new category of “transversal” SOI practices, so that the expanded model provides a more comprehensive view of the mechanisms that foster innovation at SSCs. These “transversal” SOI practices are highly contingent on the adopting company’s traits and strategy, thus suggesting that they might be a major conduit through which its strategy is reflected in its SSCM. Besides their transversal and contingent nature, another key trait of the identified SOI practices is their integrated, dynamic, time-dependent, feedback-loop-based interrelationship. These findings suggest the potential effectiveness, for processes such as sustainability innovation that involve substantial time lags, to reposition top management focus and performance evaluation “upstream” in the causal chain. This potentially promising approach involves shifting focus from results (particularly short-term results) to its causes (processes, methods), and systematically managing the ensuing feedback loops.

Purpose: This research investigates key global initiatives related to Industry 4.0, such as Industry 5.0, Society 5.0, Made in China 2025, and the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP). The aim is to define their scope from an academic perspective, exploring their interconnections and relevance within the context of digital and green transformation in major industrial economies. Design/methodology/approach: We adopted a Systematic Review (SR) approach to analyze existing literature on the selected industrial initiatives. The study follows the stages proposed by Denyer and Tranfield, which include planning, conducting, and reporting the review. Three research questions were formulated, and a methodology was designed to investigate the characteristic topics within each industrial initiative. Findings: The findings reveal that Industry 4.0 remains the most prominent theme in academic discourse. However, Industry 5.0 has shown a strong upward trend since its inception. Keyword analysis indicates that both Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 are predominantly technology-driven, though Industry 5.0 places greater emphasis on human interaction and sustainability. In contrast, Society 5.0, Made in China 2025, and the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) have less relevance in the academic literature. Originality/value: This research contributes to the academic understanding of global industrial policies by systematically comparing major initiatives. We propose a methodology to analyze the content of each industrial initiative based on a structured analysis of author keywords, offering valuable insights into these initiatives. By synthesizing a large body of literature, the study establishes a foundation for further research on the evolution of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0.