Lost in transition? Interpreting crucial enablers of sustainability transition in innovation ecosystems: Insights from the new energy vehicle sector

Amid climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource scarcity, industries increasingly require systemic transformation toward sustainability. Sustainable innovation ecosystems (SIEs) provide a pathway for such transformation through collaborative, socially and environmentally aligned innovation. However, because SIEs function as complex adaptive systems (CAS), the interdependencies among the enablers that drive their evolution remain insufficiently understood. Adopting a CAS perspective, this study examines the relationships among 16 key enablers of the sustainability transition in China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) innovation ecosystem. Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates an extensive literature review, the fuzzy Delphi method, and interpretive structural modeling–matrix impact cross-reference multiplication applied to a classification (ISM-MICMAC) analysis, we identify the hierarchical structure and interdependent roles of these enablers. The results indicate a staged transition shaped by reinforcing interactions across factors and yield a CCS framework with three layers—Catalysis, Coordination, and Sustainability. This framework illustrates how upstream conditions facilitate midstream alignment, which in turn supports the stability of downstream outcomes. The proposed framework provides a structured basis for policymakers, managers, and industry stakeholders to prioritize and sequence interventions and to identify leverage points for long-term sustainability transitions.