Numéro spécial IJTMSD

International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development

Special Issue

"Reconciling Sustainable Practices, Competitiveness, and Economic Development"

Exclusively in English.

Submission dates: 18 April 2025-09 June 2025

 Guest Editors:

Abdelhakim Hammoudi, INRAE, Agro-Paris Tech, Paris-Saclay University, Palaiseau, France.

Rim Lahmandi-Ayed, FIAS (Marie-Curie) Fellow, CUT, Rennes School of Business, France & L.R. MASE-ESSAI, University of Carthage, Tunisia.

This special issue will be based on a selection of relevant  papers to be presented at  the 3-rd edition of the Mediterranean Day of Economic and Statistic Modeling and Analysis (JM MASE 25) which will take place in University Le Havre Normandie, on 4 of April 2025.

Reconciling sustainable practices, competitiveness, and economic development is both a current challenge and a particularly complex research question. The issue of how businesses and states can effectively pursue sustainability objectives whilst  achieving   competitiveness, and promoting economic development  is leading to the emergence of a large body of  literature from different disciplines. Addressing this complex and challenging issue requires the use of a multi disciplinary and holistic approach taking into consideration the evolving dynamics of the global economy and its implications on the complex and changing  environmental and societal aspects.

Economic theories on competitiveness have long separated sustainable practices from economic growth strategies. Contemporary research shows that adopting eco-friendly practices can generate efficiency gains, increase brand reputation, and ultimately enhance profitability. Thus, investments in sustainability are no longer seen as mere additional costs but as a strategic lever for competitiveness. Other studies, however, highlight the dilemma of opportunity costs, particularly in low-margin industries or SMEs, where aligning sustainability with financial imperatives remains a challenge. Furthermore, the transition to a sustainable economy requires substantial initial investments, often difficult to implement for businesses under intense competitive pressure. The literature also highlights disparities between developed and developing countries, with the latter sometimes struggling to reconcile their need for rapid growth with sustainable practices. Moreover, economic sustainability requires robust public policies to prevent "greenwashing" and direct companies toward genuinely beneficial long-term practices.

The role of public policies in promoting sustainability and their influence on corporate strategies is a recurring theme. Companies adopt sustainable practices while seeking to balance their investments and financial returns, taking into account the regulatory incentives set up by the governments, such as subsidies, tax credits, or emission quotas. In this perspective, public policies and technological innovation are two important strategic levers for addressing environmental challenges. Investments in research and development (R&D) for clean technologies are crucial to align competitiveness with sustainability. In developing economies, sustainability-related challenges take on a particular dimension. These countries, having urgent issues in terms of poverty/inequality, unemployment, education and health, often face a dilemma between the pressing need for economic development and sustainability requirements.

This special issue aims to explore innovative and balanced perspectives for the complex question of reconciling sustainability, competitiveness and economic development, relying on practical examples and empirical research. By integrating recent theoretical frameworks and diverse case studies, this issue seeks to offer enriching contributions to this debate while shedding light on opportunity costs, the role of public policies, technological innovation, challenges specific to developing economies, as well as implications for poverty/inequality and employment.

TOPICS (non-exhaustive list):

- CSR and Impact on the Competitiveness of SMEs and Micro-enterprises.

- Governance Sustainability

- Green Financing and Responsible Investment.

- Manufacturing Industry and Circular Economy.

- Public Policies, Sustainable Practices, and Competition.

- Public Policies, Sustainable Practices, and Economic Development.

- Social Entrepreneurship

- Sustainability and Poverty/Inequality.

- Sustainability human ressources.

- Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.

- Sustainable Development Indicators and Measurement of Economic Competitiveness.

- Sustainable Innovation and Corporate Competitiveness.

- Sustainable Technology and Innovation.

- Sustainable Tourism and Local Development.

- Sustainable Transition and Social Justice.

- Transition to a Green Economy and its Impact on Competitiveness.

- Transport and Green Mobility