The Blue Economy, a dynamic field intertwining ocean sustainability, innovation, and economic progress, stands as a beacon of hope for fostering inclusive growth while advancing sustainable practices. This systematic literature review embarks on a journey to unravel the intricate relationship between innovation and sustainable practices within the Blue Economy, to uncover how innovation transforms and promotes sustainability, and to pinpoint barriers to adoption of innovative technologies and processes. By delving into the multifaceted landscape of sustainability and innovation studies within the Blue Economy, this study illuminates the potential of innovative approaches to drive sustainability in coastal and marine areas. With global attention shifting toward ocean sustainability due to survival risks and resource scarcity, this study addresses two central questions: how does innovation drive sustainable practices within the Blue Economy, and what barriers prevent the widespread adoption of these innovations? Using this interrogation as a compass to navigate the existing literature, and through a comprehensive analysis of the role of innovation in promoting sustainable practices, this review aims to provide hints for the main directions for a sustainable Blue Economy.

Intentional sustainable communities (ISCs) are commonly described as micro-based community initiatives that seek to develop sustainable lifestyles with low environmental impact. More recently, they have been analyzed as laboratories for the emergence of innovation, namely social innovation, and as actors that can contribute to sustainable transitions. This reinforces their role as pressure agents and as microscale communities of practice. Theoretically, it is argued that this scalability of innovation dynamics requires a multi-level and multi-actor perspective, mechanisms of reciprocity and that actors are not isolated and atomized. These mechanisms, such as networks, are crucial for the dissemination of sustainability practices and for increasing their potential impact. This article argues that these communities can also be important micro agents in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to mainstream the importance of scaling their innovation practices. To this end, the study uses quantitative data from a survey applied to the ISCs in Europe. The data corroborates the communities’ contribution to the SDGs, namely to SDG12, SDG13 and SDG16 and presents the collaboration network structure established within these communities.

African economies are undergoing significant structural transformation, transitioning from agriculture to manufacturing, services, and technology-driven industries. Driven by urbanization, technological innovation, and global trade, this shift offers opportunities for sustainable growth but faces challenges such as infrastructure gaps and institutional hurdles. This paper examines the dynamics of structural change in 54 African countries, focusing on the roles of technology, talent, and tourism. Using World Bank data, factor and cluster analyses reveal five latent components: structural conditions, public sector capacities, dynamic conditions, urbanization, and growth. The analysis categorizes countries into six clusters, from Developing Economies to African Powerhouses. The findings emphasize the critical role of technology in boosting productivity, the importance of talent development through education and workforce integration, and the potential of sustainable tourism to drive transformation. This research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding Africa’s structural transformation, offering actionable insights to address disparities and promote equitable development across the continent.

The state is facing turbulent times. Financial and economic turmoil, growing inequalities, disinvestment in public and social services, and political disenchantment are but a few problems that contemporary society is facing, while traditional policies are failing to deliver the desired results. Social innovation is a possible approach to deal with emergent social needs. Research and policy experimentation on social innovation increased in the last decade, but many questions remain open. One key interrogation regards the relation of social innovation with the state. How can the state, considering the multi-level interactions that necessarily exist between different stakeholders, promote these practices? Using the case of Portugal, and the recent implementation of a pioneer public programmed dedicated to social innovation—Portugal Social Innovation—, this article contributes to the understanding of the role the state in the promotion of social innovation and the challenges, tensions, and difficulties experienced by those involved in the sector, whether as practitioners of social innovation or as heads of public institutions responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of social innovations. The article presents data gathered from a focus group involving the representatives from key third sector associations and officials responsible for public institutions that support the implementation of social innovation at the relevant levels of government (national, regional, local). Results show opportunities and tensions between the third sector and the different levels of the state, and a difficulty to adapt the processes and practices of public administration to the dynamic and creative nature of social innovation.

The current economic model centered on perpetual growth is unsustainable. Without a shift away from this growth-centric approach and rampant consumerism, the environmental and social crises will persist. This article explores tourists’ relationship with degrowth and sustainability. Through an empirical investigation, the study explores the relatively uncharted territory of how tourists engage with degrowth. Employing an online survey with a sample of 261 respondents obtained through convenience sampling via online distribution, the research seeks to unearth key facets of tourist behavior and categorize tourists based on their attitudes toward sustainability and degrowth. The findings indicate that degrowth remains a largely unfamiliar concept among tourists. Interestingly, those exhibiting more sustainable travel practices also display a greater alignment with degrowth principles. Conversely, younger tourists appear less inclined towards sustainable behaviors and more resistant to embracing degrowth ideologies. These findings underscore the potential of degrowth in addressing sustainability challenges within the tourism industry while emphasizing the need of including tourists and local communities in fostering a shift toward more sustainable tourism practices.