Analysis reveals infrastructure's role in shaping sustainable economic systems, indicating a need for adaptive governance.
The transformation of global economic systems has positioned infrastructure as a strategic element in shaping sustainable and technologically adaptive markets. Digitalization and sustainability have evolved into interconnected paradigms that jointly influence infrastructure development and governance. As digital innovations reshape the operational logic of economic systems, infrastructure is no longer a passive framework but an active driver of change. The need to align infrastructure with sustainable development has intensified amid environmental challenges, social inequality, and global instability. Markets increasingly rely on digital technologies, requiring a re-evaluation of infrastructure planning and management. Infrastructure has become a data-driven ecosystem that supports innovation, connectivity, and service integration. This transformation raises questions about institutional readiness, policy adaptation, and the ability to navigate new ethical and environmental concerns. Digitalization brings not only efficiency but also complexity, especially when systems are not inclusive or adequately regulated. Achieving sustainable infrastructure in the digital era involves balancing technological advancement with social and environmental responsibility. Infrastructure must serve diverse communities, adapt to local contexts, and support long-term resilience. Beyond physical assets, digital infrastructure encompasses platforms, interfaces, and standards that mediate systemic interactions. Therefore, a new vision is needed–one that understands infrastructure as a socio-technical construct influenced by governance, participation, and public value. The emergence of digital sustainability reflects this evolving paradigm. Its priorities integration over fragmentation, transparency over opacity, and resilience over short-term gains. Moving forward, infrastructure policy must foster collaboration between sectors and promote values that align growth with accountability. The shift toward a digitally sustainable model invites a rethinking of development priorities, highlighting the necessity of coherent strategies that serve economic, environmental, and societal goals simultaneously.
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Коротун et al. (2025) studied this question.
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