This paper aims to explore core competencies and analyze the digital leveling implementation of Pharma 4.0 in Indonesian Pharmaceutical companies. This study uses a mixed-method Delphi study conducted in the first two rounds. The first and second rounds aimed to determine the core competencies of the Pharmaceutical Industry to face the Pharma 4.0 era. In the first round, FGD was conducted involving 12 participants, and semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 participants in the second round. Alongside Delphi, this research also employs NVIVO as a tool for content analysis. Furthermore, in the third round, a survey was conducted to determine the leveling of the digital implementation of Pharma 4.0, involving 215 senior management participants representing 34 national pharmaceutical industries. The study revealed eight core competencies needed by human capital in the pharmaceutical industry to face the Pharma 4.0 era: critical thinking, bioinformatics, entrepreneurial thinking, digital skills, intrapreneurial skills, research skills, regulatory compliance, and data ethics. Regarding digital leveling implementation, this study found five main levels: level 1 (simplification), level 2 (automatization), level 3 (integrated system), level 4 (digital transformation), and level 5 (disease prediction). This study also affirms that most of the pharmaceutical industries in Indonesia are at level 2 (mean = 4.2) and level 1 (mean = 4.0). Several pharmaceutical industries are at level 3 (mean = 3.5), and a few others are at level 4 (mean 3.2) and level 5 (mean = 1.4). This study is the first to analyze the leveling of digital implementation in Pharma 4.0. The results showed that core competencies could be used as a benchmark to develop employee skills. This current study provides the essential data for core competency development and digital leveling implementation for the pharmaceutical industry and government in preparing Pharma 4.0.

Sustainability-related communication involving youth and children continues to be difficult to practice effectively and sustainably. This study examines how effective a particular approach to sustainability communication is at raising children’s environmental awareness through an educational program. Participatory action research and storytelling as a narrative paradigm were used to examine the effectiveness of bio-based experiential learning. A total of 74 students (ages 9 to 11) from Bandung, Indonesia, participated in the program. Twenty parents also participated in providing feedback for the campaign on how to change their children’s behavior towards the environment. The outcome demonstrates that the communication approach of bio-based experiential learning activities provides children with valuable education. The children are taught about urban farming, environmental awareness, and social responsibility. In the long run, it is hoped that children will be motivated to start an environmentally friendly business, particularly in biotechnology for the environment, to foster a sustainable city.

This systematic literature review examines the adoption of green growth practices at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), synthesizing findings from 56 peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2024. The study explores key dimensions of green growth, including environmental innovation, circular economy practices, and green financial management across various sectors and geographical regions. The analysis reveals a progressive shift in SMEs’ sustainability practices, from initial awareness to ecosystem development, influenced by factors at the macro, meso, and micro levels. Key drivers identified include government policies, market pressures, and technological innovations, while primary barriers encompass financial constraints and knowledge gaps. The research highlights emerging trends such as the integration of digitalization, circular economy models, and green finance in SMEs’ sustainability efforts. Additionally, it uncovers significant research gaps, particularly in understanding the long-term impacts of green growth initiatives and the role of resilience in post-pandemic recovery. This study concludes by proposing a future research agenda focusing on themes like AI-driven business model innovation, blockchain in green finance, and cross-sector policy harmonization. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, business leaders, and researchers in fostering sustainable practices across the SME sector.

The study aims to assess the decarbonization efforts of corporations in Malaysia in relation to the country’s national net-zero emission targets. A qualitative approach was adopted, employing two focus group discussions (FGDs) with a total of 18 participants. The FGD questions were developed based on the participants’ expertise and experiences. Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze the collected data. This study sheds light on key decarbonization practices in Malaysian companies, which place greater emphasis on environmental regulatory compliance and cost-saving measures. However, investment in decarbonization remains a small part of overall capital investment and receives little attention from corporate leadership. The importance of addressing the concerns raised by this study is key to realizing Malaysia’s Determined National Commitment (NDC) to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the decarbonization efforts of corporations in Malaysia, specifically in the context of the country’s national net-zero emission targets. The research utilizes a qualitative approach and applies thematic analysis to explore the perceptions and motivations driving decarbonization initiatives. The study also highlights the role of government pressures and the need to address critical business concerns for successful decarbonization.

The urgent need to align banking practices with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has become increasingly apparent, particularly in the context of fostering industry, innovation, and infrastructure. The primary issue at hand is the insufficient integration of SDG 9 into banks’ core strategies and operations, despite its critical importance for sustainable development. The novelty of this study lies in its detailed examination of the extent to which Indonesian banks support SDG 9 through their reported activities, an area that has been underexplored in previous research. This research aimed to investigate the level of support from banking industries to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 9: industry, innovation, and infrastructure. This study utilized a content analysis approach to collect secondary data from the sustainability reports of 44 banks listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2017 and 2020, resulting in 176 observations. In cases where sustainability reports were unavailable, annual and combined reports were used as unit analyses. The findings revealed that Indonesian banks have undertaken various activities to support SDGs, and there has been an increasing trend in disclosure from 2017 to 2020. However, the study found that a significant role of technology transformation, which should lead to innovation and support for SDG 9, was lacking. This finding suggests that SDGs are still primarily measured by external activities rather than internal activities, despite the importance of business strategy in supporting SDGs. Another significant finding was that micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) received the most support for sustainable business activity categories (SBAC). The research contributes to the literature by providing insights into the level of support for SDG 9 and SBACs. The study also underscores the importance of measuring the impact of digital banking services, which have been widely implemented, and the need for significant support for SBAs in the environmental sector.