Advancing a sustainable blue economy through innovation: a systematic review

The blue economy, as a new development model, seeks to balance environmental conservation with economic and social development objectives. This goal remains, however, difficult to achieve due to pressures from human activities on oceans and seas. Addressing this challenge requires the adoption of innovative approaches both in blue economy sectors and in supporting regulatory and policy frameworks. In this article, we conduct a systematic literature review (PRISMA 2020) of papers published from 2012 to 2024 to analyze the significance of innovation in promoting the sustainability of the blue economy. Advanced review tools were used to identify main trends, key contributors, emerging issues, critical gaps, and future research perspectives. Our results indicate a growing integration of environmental considerations within the framework of innovation and blue economy analysis. The research landscape reveals challenges and pressures impacting the marine environment, such as climate change and economic and industrial activities, alongside measures and approaches to mitigate these issues, including high-quality development, conservation management, protection and environmental legislation. Our findings further underscore the necessity for a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach. Various mediating factors, mechanisms, and leverage actions were identified as essential in enhancing the impact of innovation on the sustainability of the blue economy. Our findings offer significant actionable insights and policy implications, guiding researchers toward underexplored areas of research and providing public policymakers with recommendations for the design of innovation policies and strategic agendas.