Wilke, Ul ich; Pyka, And eas
A icle — Published Ve sion
Sus ainable inno a ions, knowledge and he ole o
p oximi y: A sys ema ic li e a u e e iew
Jou nal o Economic Su eys
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John Wiley & Sons
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Wilke, Ul ich; Pyka, And eas (2024) : Sus ainable inno a ions, knowledge and he
ole o p oximi y: A sys ema ic li e a u e e iew, Jou nal o Economic Su eys, ISSN 1467-6419, Wiley
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DOI: 10.1111/joes.12617
ARTICLE
Sus ainable inno a ions, knowledge and he
ole o p oximi y: A sys ema ic li e a u e e iew
Ul ich Wilke1And eas Pyka2
1Reu lingen Resea ch Ins i u e,
Reu lingen Uni e si y, Reu lingen,
Ge many
2Depa men o Inno a ion Economics
(520I), Uni e si y o Hohenheim,
S u ga , Ge many
Co espondence
Ul ich Wilke, Reu lingen Resea ch
Ins i u e, Reu lingen Uni e si y,
Al ebu gs aße 150, 72762 Reu lingen,
Ge many.
Email: ul ich.wilke@ eu lingen-
uni e si y.de
Abs ac
Inno a ions can subs an ially con ibu e o he ans-
o ma ion owa d sus ainabili y i hey induce a posi-
i e social and/o en i onmen al impac . Such sus ain-
able inno a ions di e conside ably om con en ional,
pu ely economic inno a ions. The main di e ence
s ems om he di e en knowledge bases necessa y o
he de elopmen o hese inno a ions. These knowledge
bases a e widely dispe sed ac oss di e en ac o s om
business, academia, go e nmen , and ci il socie y. Fol-
lowing he inno a ion sys em app oach, we look a ac o
cons ella ions, linkages be ween ac o s, and knowledge
lows wi hin ne wo ks ha gene a e sus ainable inno-
a ions. Fo his pu pose, we conduc a sys ema ic
li e a u e e iew, ocusing on he concep o p oximi y
and i s i e dimensions (geog aphical, cogni i e, ins i u-
ional, o ganiza ional, and social p oximi y). The esul s
show ha all p oximi y dimensions, as well as he in e -
dependencies be ween hem, a e ele an o analyzing
knowledge lowsleading osus ainableinno a ions.The
in e play o he di e en p oximi y dimensions can be
desc ibed ia wo mechanisms, one being ein o ce-
men and he o he one being ei he subs i u ion o
o e lap. We conclude ha o he occu ence o adi-
cal, sys emic inno a ions, which ha e he po en ial o
al e ing he p e ailing socio-economic pa adigm owa d
This is an open access a icle unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License, which pe mi s use, dis ibu ion and
ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
© 2024 The Au ho Jou nal compila ion © 2024 Blackwell Publishing L d
326 wileyonlinelib a y.com/jou nal/joes JEconSu .2025;39:326–351.
WILKE and PYKA 327
g ea e sus ainabili y, a combina ion o low cogni i e
and low (mic o-) ins i u ional p oximi y combined wi h
high o ganiza ional, social, o geog aphical p oximi y,
appea s pa icula ly conduci e.
KEYWORDS
inno a ion, inno a ion sys em, knowledge, p oximi y, sus ainabil-
i y
1 INTRODUCTION
Humani y is acing he g and challenge o sus ainabili y, as appa en in issues such as clima e
change, loss o biodi e si y, deple ion o na u al esou ces, pe sis ing po e y, and de imen al
le els o inequali y in income and weal h. A ans o ma ion owa d sus ainabili y will equi e
a - eaching changes in ou cu en p oduc ion and consump ion pa e ns. The no ma i e and
mul idimensional na u e o sus ainabili y makes his a e y demanding endea o . Consequen ly,
nume ous au ho s e e o sus ainabili y as a “wicked p oblem” (Ri el & Webbe , 1973) ha bea s
no easy solu ions (Ba ie, 2008; Weh den e al., 2017;Wieke al.,2012).
Inno a ions can se e as a sui able means o ackling his wicked p oblem and hus can
con ibu e o he ans o ma ion owa d sus ainabili y (Dwye , 2013; Hall & V edenbu g, 2003;
Luede i z e al., 2017;Pyka,2017; S ambach, 2017). Howe e , inno a ions do no ha e a pos-
i i e in luence on sus ainabili y pe se (Schlaile e al., 2017; Scho & S einmuelle , 2018). In a
pu ely economic sense, inno a ions e e o new o imp o ed p oduc s, p ocesses, o app oaches
ha ha e a comme cial alue, much in line wi h he app oach depic ed in he widesp ead
Oslo Manual (OECD/Eu os a , 2018). In his de ini ion, en i onmen al o social impac s a e
i ele an (Rennings, 2000). To cap u e he idea o inno a ions ha also ha e a posi i e e ec
on he social and/o en i onmen al dimension o sus ainabili y, a a ie y o di e en con-
cep s and labels ha e eme ged, such as en i onmen al inno a ions, eco-inno a ions, sus ainable
inno a ions, sus ainabili y-o ien ed inno a ions, g een inno a ions, esponsible inno a ions, o
ans o ma i e inno a ions, o name some (see F anceschini e al., 2016 o a non-exhaus i e
o e iew). The e is qui e some concep ual o e lap be ween hese no ions, some a e used in e -
changeably by some au ho s bu no by o he s, and mos o hese no ions a e no being used
cohe en ly.
Despi e his plu alism o de ini ions, he e seems o be a common denomina o : They all seem
o di e conside ably om pu ely economic inno a ions, especially ega ding he unde lying
knowledge bases (Hojnik & Ruzzie , 2016; Ho bach e al., 2013; S ambach, 2017). The ele an
knowledge o sus ainable inno a ions seems mo e dispe sed (Ghassim, 2018). Fi ms seeking
such inno a ions hus end o collabo a e mo e ex ensi ely wi h ex e nal pa ne s (Ma chi &
G andine i, 2013). Those pa ne s do no only come om he business wo ld o academics bu
in many cases also include go e nmen al o ganiza ions, NGOs, consume g oups, and o he ci il
socie y o ganiza ions. These di e se g oups o ac o s a e in ol ed due o hei specialized knowl-
edgein ields co e ingsocialanden i onmen alaspec s o sus ainabili y (Ca ayannis&Campbell,
2010; Cla k e al., 2016).
328 WILKE and PYKA
Following he inno a ion sys em app oach (Cooke, 1992; Lund all, 1992; Nelson, 1993)in
he adi ion o e olu iona y economics, his is no su p ise, as his app oach emphasizes he
in e ac ion o a ious agen s in he c ea ion, di usion, and applica ion o economically use ul
no el ies. Knowledge lows play a pa icula ly impo an ole in hese in e ac ions, as he c e-
a ion and exchange o knowledge a e he basis o inno a ion (Lund all, 2016). The ela ionships
be ween he ac o s o an inno a ion sys em in luence hese knowledge lows and a e he e o e
highly ele an o unde s anding he eme gence o inno a ions. A powe ul analy ical ame-
wo k o analyzing hese ela ionships is he concep o p oximi y which is widely applied in
economic geog aphy (Capello, 2014) and whose ele ance o in e ac i e lea ning and inno a-
ion p ocesses in mul i-ac o se ings is widely acknowledged (Balland e al., 2022). The di e en
dimensions o p oximi y (geog aphical, o ganiza ional, ins i u ional, social, and cogni i e) acil-
i a e he c ea ion, co-c ea ion, and ans e o knowledge be ween di e en agen s by sol ing
he unde lying coo dina ion p oblem (Boschma, 2005). In con as o he la ge schola ly body
o wo k examining he ole o p oximi y o pu ely economic inno a ions (con e Balland e al.,
2022), li le wo k has been done so a ega ding inno a ions ha imply posi i e social and
en i onmen al e ec s. As men ioned abo e, he e a e di e ences be ween hese wo ypes o
inno a ions, s emming om di e en a ge dimensions (economic s. economic, social and eco-
logical) and he esul ing necessa y sou ces o knowledge. Taking hese di e ences in o accoun ,
we seek o analyze he ole o he di e en p oximi y dimensions in he eme gence o sus ain-
able inno a ions. We expec ha insigh s in o he e ec s o he di e en p oximi y dimensions
will con ibu e o he ield o inno a ion economics and p o ide aluable knowledge o a wide
a ie y o s akeholde s. Companies could u ilize his knowledge o hei inno a ion and ne -
wo k managemen by selec ing pa ne s wi h a o able le els o p oximi y, hus imp o ing he
chances o success o join inno a ion p ojec s. Unde s anding he e ec s o he di e en p oxim-
i y dimensions could u he mo e be used in inno a ion policy o enable mo e e ec i e p omo ion
o sus ainabili y-o ien ed inno a ion ne wo ks. Finally, ci il socie y ini ia i es could use his
knowledge o make s a egic decisions abou how o in oduce bes hei ideas and demands
in o such ne wo ks, whe he o collabo a e wi h o he ini ia i es in p oximi y (o a an ade-
qua e dis ance), o whe he o in ol e businesses, uni e si ies, o go e nmen agencies in hei
ini ia i es.
To examine he e ec s o he di e en p oximi y dimensions, we conduc a sys ema ic li e a-
u e analysis, guided by he ques ion: Wha is he li e a u e saying abou he ole o he di e en
p oximi y dimensions in knowledge p ocesses ela ed o sus ainable inno a ions?
Ou analysis p o ides insigh s in o how di e en ac o cons ella ions shape knowledge p o-
cesses ha lead o sus ainable inno a ions. We ind ha all p oximi y dimensions a e ele an
o unde s anding lows o knowledge in such mul i-ac o se ings. Fu he mo e, he e a e
impo an in e dependencies be ween he di e en p oximi y dimensions. Those in e depen-
dencies can be desc ibed wi h wo mechanisms, one being ein o cemen and he o he being
ei he o e lap o subs i u ion. Rega ding he di e en p oximi y dimensions, we ind ha ce -
ain combina ions o high and low le els o he di e en dimensions seem o be mo e common
han o he s. Fo he de elopmen o sys emic, adical inno a ions ha os e a ans o ma ion
owa d sus ainabili y, a combina ion o low cogni i e and low (mic o-)ins i u ional p oximi y,
oge he wi h high le els o social, o ganiza ional, o geog aphical p oximi y, seems especially
conduci e.
The pape is o ganized as ollows. Sec ion 2gi es a b ie o e iew o he ele an heo e ical
backg ound. Sec ion 3desc ibes he me hodological app oach o he sys ema ic li e a u e e iew.
WILKE and PYKA 329
The esul s o he analysis a e p esen ed in Sec ion 4. Sec ion 5discusses, concludes, and ou lines
a enues o u he esea ch on he opic.
2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
2.1 Sus ainabili y inno a ions
E e since Schumpe e pu inno a ions high on he agenda o economics, much has been w i en
abou he eme gence o echnological and o ganiza ional no el ies ha spu economic de elop-
men . In he con en ional sense, inno a ions can be de ined simply as comme cialized in en ions
(F eeman & Soe e, 2000). Hence, he p o i abili y o added alue o a new echnology, p oduc ,
se ice, o p ocess is he decisi e cha ac e is ic ha quali ies a no el y as an inno a ion. This elu-
cida es he impo ance o inno a ions o economic g ow h and explains he ex ensi e scien i ic
co e age o his subjec .
Today, he issue o sus ainabili y anks high on he agenda o poli icians, business leade s, and
academic schola s wo ldwide. An issue, which is closely in e wined wi h economic g ow h. The
idea, ha he maxim o cons an o e en mo e g ow h migh no be easible on a plane wi h ini e
esou ces and limi ed egene a i e capaci y, came up p ominen ly in he 1970s wi h se e al pub-
lica ions add essing his opic (among hem Meadows e al., 1972 and Geo gescu-Roegen, 1971).
In he la e 80s, he so-called B und land epo (WCED, 1987) ga e a widely ecognized de ini ion
o sus ainable de elopmen and igge ed in ense poli ical coo dina ion and ac ion on a global
scale,leading,among o he hings, o heUni edNa ionsSus ainableDe elopmen Goals.To da e,
howe e , he e is no commonly accep ed de ini ion o sus ainabili y o sus ainable de elopmen ,
much less a commonly accep ed ope a ionaliza ion o se o indica o s o cap u e and measu e
sus ainabili y, despi e he p og ess ha has been made in measu emen app oaches (Qasim, 2017).
We sha e he widesp ead iew ha i is mos app op ia e o unde s and sus ainabili y as a
no ma i e concep wi h economic, social, and ecological aspec s, en ailing a empo al, in e gen-
e a ional dimension and implying cause-and-e ec ela ions on a global scale (G unwald, 2007).
This howe e implies ques ions abou he no ma i e di ec ionali y, legi imacy, and esponsibili y
(Schlaile e al., 2017) and a con inuous discussion wi hin socie y abou he ac ual meaning o sus-
ainabili y and he esul ing implica ions and objec i es (Blä el-Mink & Kas enholz, 2005). The
scien i ic deba e on his opic is co espondingly b oad (see e.g., Lin & Zheng, 2016).
Bu e en in he absence o a commonly accep ed de ini ion (which migh no be eached), he
impo ance o sus ainabili y is ob ious and undoub ed, conside ing he de as a ing consequences
o pe sis ing po e y, he cos s and nega i e wel a e e ec s o inequali y (A kinson, 2015), and
he u ging necessi y o keep plane ea h in a “sa e ope a ing a ea o humani y” (Rocks öm
e al., 2009). In addi ion, and independen ly o po en ial cos s associa ed wi h a loss o biodi e si y
(Ca dinale e al., 2012), one can easily a gue o he mo al obliga ion o humani y o p ese e
na u e and i s biodi e si y.
In his con ex , inno a ions ha no only d i e economic g ow h bu also ha e posi i e social
and/o en i onmen al e ec s, ha e ecei ed inc easing a en ion. Many di e en no ions and con-
cep s ha e been de eloped o such inno a ions. Rennings (2000), o example, discusses he
concep o eco-inno a ions,being echnological,o ganiza ional,social, o ins i u ionalwhichcon-
ibu e o ecological a ge s and hus mainly add ess he en i onmen al aspec o sus ainabili y.
The e a e nume ous simila concep s, add essing inno a ions ha link economic g ow h wi h a
educ ion o nega i e en i onmen al ex e nali ies (see Ba bie i e al., 2016 o ano e iew).
330 WILKE and PYKA
Adams e al. (2016) examine a b oade concep . They discuss he concep o sus ainabili y-
o ien ed inno a ions as an app oach d i en by o ganiza ions o inco po a e sus ainabili y in hei
p oduc s, p ocesses, and in o he unde lying cul u e o he o ganiza ions, wi h he aim o c ea ing
posi i e social and en i onmen al impac s, in addi ion o economic alue. They add ess di e en
le els o such inno a ions, om in e nally o ien ed shi s on he i m le el o mo e adical and
sys emic changes building upon mul i-ac o collabo a ions and new business pa adigms.
Sus ainabili y inno a ions can be inc emen al echnological imp o emen s, such as no -
el ies ha inc ease esou ce e iciency. Bu mo e o en hey a e associa ed wi h adical,
sys em-wide changes (Boons e al., 2013; Schlaile e al., 2017), implying a change in he p e-
ailing echno-economic pa adigm (Dosi, 1982). Comp ehensi e economic concep s such as he
knowledge-based sus ainable bioeconomy (see e.g., Pyka & P e ne , 2018) o a sus ainable ci -
cula economy (Geissdoe e e al., 2017) equen ly inco po a e he idea o such ans o ma i e
inno a ions. This is in line wi h a la ge numbe o au ho s a guing o sys emic, ans o ma i e
change o add ess sus ainabili y (Caniglia e al., 2021).
Many au ho s u he mo e doub ha a pu ely echnological solu ion o he sus ainabili y chal-
lenge is likely (e.g., Dwye , 2013; G unwald, 2007; S e man, 2008;S ewa d,2012). Conside ing
en i onmen al and social ou comes, many, o e en he majo i y o new echnologies, ha e he
po en ial o bea posi i e e ec s. Bu he ac ual impac o a new echnology depends on i s usage—
con e he in amous ebound e ec , which coun e ac s e iciency gains and leads o a ne inc ease
in esou ce consump ion o pollu ion. The dis ibu ion o bene i s and nega i e ex e nali ies o a
new echnology which occu h oughou i s whole li e cycle, om esou ce ex ac ion o disposal,
can also ha e unin ended bu se e e impac s on sus ainabili y.
Nume ous au ho s s ess he impo ance o social inno a ions o sus ainabili y (König, 2015;
Rennings, 2000; Schlaile e al., 2017). Bu he e again, he e is no commonly accep ed de ini ion
o he e m social inno a ion, and some a gue ha social inno a ions a e no necessa ily posi i e
o sus ainabili y (Pol & Ville, 2009). In gene al, assessing he impac o an inno a ion on social
and en i onmen al sus ainabili y is no a i ial ask. An example is he amewo k p oposed by
E. G. Hansen e al. (2009) o assess he sus ainabili y e ec s o inno a ions. I consis s o h ee
dimensions, which esul in 27 sus ainabili y a eas in which impac s can occu and o which 71
assessmen me hods a e assigned.
The mul i ude o de ini ions and e ms o sus ainable inno a ions is no su p ise, conside -
ing he concep ual ambigui y o he unde lying concep o sus ainabili y. I is no in he scope
o his pape o gi e a conclusi e discussion o he di e en concep s, bu o con ibu e o he
unde s anding o he p ocesses ha lead o he eme gence o such inno a ions, ocusing on he
commonali ies o hese ypes o inno a ion, and he ac o s ha dis inguish hem om con en-
ional inno a ions. In he es o he pape , we will only use he e m “sus ainable inno a ions”
o he sake o simplici y.
2.2 Knowledge, p oximi y, and inno a ions
Building upon he de ini ions o Lund all (1992), Nelson (1993),andCooke(1992), we unde s and
inno a ion sys ems as in ica e ne wo ks comp ising ins i u ions, ac o s, and hei in e connec-
ions. These elemen s dynamically engage in he c ea ion, dissemina ion, and implemen a ion o
economically aluable no el ies wi hin speci ic geog aphical bounda ies, whe he a he na ional
(Lund all, 1992; Nelson, 1993) o egional le el (Cooke, 1992). Knowledge plays a cen al ole in
hese in e ac ions. I s c ea ion, co-c ea ion, and ans e p o ide he basis o e e y inno a ion.
G ege sen and Johnson (1997) e en place knowledge a he cen e o hei de ini ion o an
WILKE and PYKA 331
inno a ion sys em. They s a e ha he undamen al unc ions o such a sys em lie in he c ea ion,
alloca ion, and u iliza ion o knowledge, whe eby he u iliza ion happens p ima ily h ough
he in oduc ion o inno a ions. These p ocesses, in u n, esul in desi ed ou comes such as
economic g ow h.
The inno a ion sys em app oach has since been used ex ensi ely o analyze issues such as
compe i i eness o inno a i e pe o mance a di e en geog aphical le els and has exe ed con-
side ablein luenceonpoli ics (Fage be g,2017).I was u he mo eex endedandadap ed o ocus
on sec o s, indus ies, o echnologies as uni s o analysis ins ead o egions o na ions, leading
o concep s such as echnological inno a ion sys ems and sec o al inno a ion sys ems (Webe
& T u e , 2017). In ecen yea s, he concep was adap ed o speci ically add ess sus ainable
inno a ions (see e.g., Al enbu g & Pegels, 2012 o Pyka, 2017).
Neoclassical economic heo y add esses knowledge ai ly mechanical, o en in ol ing a
esea ch and de elopmen sec o which is c ea ing new knowledge acco ding o a common-
place p oduc ion unc ion like a gene alized Cobb-Douglas unc ion (con e o e iews such as
Aghion & Howi , 2009). Knowledge hus lows a he eely and can be conside ed (wi h some
excep ions) as a global public good (S igli z, 1999). In con as , he inno a ion sys em app oach
emphasizes he exis ence o pa h dependencies in knowledge c ea ion (Dosi, 1982), cha ac e izing
knowledge as being cumula i e (Fo ay, 2004), being s icky (Hippel, 1994), and equi ing a ce ain
deg ee o abso p i e capaci y o be assimila ed and applied (Cohen & Le in hal, 1990). Hence,
he ans e o knowledge be ween wo i ms, o mo e gene ally be ween wo agen s, is associa ed
wi h ansac ioncos s, equi ingsome o mo esou ce o mechanism o coo dina e he exchange.
Because sus ainable inno a ions include social and ecological goals, he knowledge ele an o
hem is mo e complex and mo e dispe sed han in he case o con en ional inno a ions (U me -
ze e al., 2018; an Geenhuizen & Ye, 2014). Sus ainable inno a ions equi e knowledge abou
en i onmen al impac measu emen , ele an egula ions, indus y s anda ds, and ce i ica es.
They u he mo e equi e knowledge o he needs and demands o cus ome s, in e es g oups,
and poli ical decision-make s, as well as knowledge o social impac assessmen s and he po en-
ial ex e nali ies o p oduc s and p ocesses ha may occu h oughou hei li e cycles. Compa ed
o pu ely ma ke -d i en inno a ions, he b oade spec um o po en ial s akeholde s wi h po en-
ially con adic ing demands makes he de elopmen o such inno a ions much mo e challenging
o companies (Hall & V edenbu g, 2003).
The ne wo ks ha gene a e sus ainable inno a ions include a wide a ie y o ac o s om busi-
ness, academia, go e nmen , and ci il socie y (Healy & Mo gan, 2012). Ac o s, ha a e ha dly
in ol ed in he c ea ion o pu ely economic inno a ions, such as NGOs, consume g oups, en i-
onmen al g oups, and alike, now become impo an due o hei speci ic expe ise. In addi ion,
consume s and use s a e gaining impo ance as ac i e con ibu o s in inno a ion p ocesses
(Hippel, 2006) and mo e gene ally in ansi ion p ocesses induced by inno a ions (Wilke e al.,
2021). This aises ques ions abou he in e ac ion o such di e se ac o s in he de elopmen o
inno a ions.
To be e unde s and he lows o knowledge in such ac o cons ella ions, we use he concep o
p oximi y, which o igina es om economic geog aphy, whe e i is used in he con ex o a ious
hemes such as egional de elopmen , inno a ion esea ch, o in e -o ganiza ional coope a ion
(C escenzi e al., 2016; Knoben & Oe lemans, 2006). The unde lying idea is, ha di e en p ox-
imi y dimensions (geog aphical, o ganiza ional, social, ins i u ional, and cogni i e) a e conduci e
o knowledge exchange and inno a ions, whe eas oo much p oximi y migh ha e de imen-
al e ec s (Boschma, 2005). Geog aphical p oximi y e e s o he spa ial dis ance be ween wo
agen sinabsolu e(linea dis ance)o ela i e e ms( a el ime),which acili a es he exchangeo
knowledge h oughdi ec ace- o- acecon ac (Ponds e al.,2007).O ganiza ionalp oximi y e e s
332 WILKE and PYKA
o o mal links be ween wo agen s and hus conce ns hie a chical s uc u es and powe ela ions
ha enable he con ol o oppo unis ic beha io (Ma es, 2012). Social p oximi y ollows a simi-
la wo king mechanism bu conce ns pe sonnel ela ions such as iendship o kinship in ol ing
us (T. Hansen, 2015). Ins i u ional p oximi y e e s o he con ex ual amewo k in which he
exchange be ween wo ac o s un olds. This includes elemen s like law, egula ion, and s anda ds.
Addi ionally, ins i u ional p oximi y ex ends o he in e nal cha ac e is ics o he ac o s, encom-
passingaspec s suchaso ganiza ional o m,incen i es uc u es,andco po a ecul u e.Cogni i e
p oximi y is closely ela ed o abso p i e capaci y, e e ing o sha ed cogni i e concep s and he
simila i ies be ween wo ac o s in pe cei ing and unde s anding he su ounding wo ld (Wuy s
e al., 2005). The concep o p oximi y can be applied o in es iga ing ne wo ks on he i m le el
bu also o conduc s udies wi h egions as uni s o analysis (Mo eno & Miguélez, 2012).
3METHODOLOGY
To in es iga e p oximi y in inno a ion ne wo ks and i s in luence on he lows o knowledge lead-
ing o sus ainable inno a ions, we p esen a sys ema ic li e a u e e iew. Ou me hodology o
he e iew d aws on he p ocedu es p oposed by T an ield e al. (2003) and Palma ie e al. (2018).
Figu e 1gi es an o e iew o he li e a u e selec ion p ocess. The ini ial selec ion o pape s was
done h ough wo sea ches, one in he da abase Web o Science and he o he in he da abase
Scopus. In bo h da abases, we used b oad sea ch e ms consis ing o he wo ds “p oximi y,” “sus-
ainab*,” “inno a *,” and “knowledge,” wi h he las wo wo ds combined as wo disjunc i e
op ions in conjunc ion wi h he i s wo wo ds1. The wo sea ches yielded a high numbe o pub-
lica ions. A e me ging he wo se s o esul s and dele ing duplica es, 585 publica ions emained.
The nex s ep was o ead he abs ac s o hese publica ions o decide whe he o include hem in
he sys ema ic e iew. The selec ion was based on he ollowing inclusion c i e ia: (1) The publi-
ca ion mus add ess he issue o sus ainable inno a ions; (2) he publica ion mus deal wi h he
eme gence o such inno a ions based on knowledge p ocesses; and (3) he publica ion mus ana-
lyze he p oximi y be ween he ac o s in ol ed o use p oximi y as a amewo k o analyzing he
ela ionships o he ac o s in ol ed.
This means ha publica ions examining o he economic p ocesses ha aim a inc easing sus-
ainabili y and in ol ing mul iple ac o s we e excluded, such as publica ions on p oximi y in
supply chains, on spa ial cha ac e is ics o lows o goods, ma e ials, o ene gy, on he si ing o
acili ies o business p emises, on p oximi y ega ding (non-inno a ion ela ed) cus ome ela-
ionships such as dis ibu ion issues, o on he use o p oximi y as a concep o planning he
opology o u ban in as uc u e wi h he aim o inc easing sus ainabili y. Publica ions ha ana-
lyze spa ial pa e ns o di usion o sus ainable inno a ions, such as he sp eading o g een ene gy
echnologies, we e also no included, as we a e in e es ed in he eme gence o inno a ions a he
han hei subsequen la ge-scale adop ion. Fu he mo e, publica ions in es iga ing he o ma-
ion o ne wo ks we e excluded i hey did no add ess he lows o knowledge wi hin hese
ne wo ks.
A la ge numbe o publica ions (514) we e excluded based on he analysis o hei abs ac s.
Fu he 10 pape s we e excluded due o hei language, wi h mos o hese pape s being w i en in
F ench. The eason ha he e a e so many publica ions in F ench on his opic can mos likely be
a ibu ed o heF enchschoolo p oximi y, which p o idedse e alimpo an ea ly con ibu ions
o his s and o he inno a ion deba e, such as Ki a and Lung (1999)o To eandGilly(2000). In
he nex s ep o ou e iew, he ull ex s o he emaining publica ions we e ead, leading o he
exclusion o ano he 41 publica ions, based on he abo e-men ioned inclusion c i e ia. Based on
WILKE and PYKA 333
FIGURE 1 Li e a u e selec ion p ocess.
he emaining 20 publica ions, ci a ion snowballing (backwa d and o wa ds) was done o iden i y
u he ele an publica ions, leading o he inclusion o ou addi ional pape s. As he numbe o
ele an pape s ound wi h his me hod was a he high compa ed o he se o pape s ound wi h
he ini ial sys ema ic sea ch in he da abases, we es ed amendmen s o he sea ch s ing used
in he da abases. Tha , howe e , led o no adjus men s as he inclusion o u he wo ds did no
bea be e esul s bu d ama ically inc eased he numbe o i ele an publica ions. Hence he
inal selec ion o 24 publica ions o ms he basis o he sys ema ic li e a u e e iew, he esul s o
which a e desc ibed in he nex sec ion.
4RESULTS
4.1 Desc ip ion o da a
All pape s included in he analysis we e published in pee - e iewed jou nals. Figu e 2depic s
he yea s o publica ion o hese a icles. Mos pape s ha e been published in ecen yea s (∼70 %
340 WILKE and PYKA
labo a ion ac oss la ge dis ances. A simila inding is p esen ed by Ie oli e al. (2019), who s a e
ha in long-dis ance collabo a ions, in which ac o s ely on he use o mode n in o ma ion and
communica ion echnology (ICT), cogni i e p oximi y seems o be mo e impo an . Mo e gene -
ally, cogni i e p oximi y in he sense o sha ed expec a ions abou he sus ainabili y impac s o
he in ended inno a ions seems o play an impo an ole in he collabo a ion o di e en ac o s
(Coenen e al., 2010).
4.4 Ins i u ional p oximi y
Ins i u ional p oximi y e e s o commonali ies and di e ences ega ding he ins i u ional ame-
wo k in which he ac o s coope a e, as well as o he ins i u ional cha ac e is ics o he ac o s
hemsel es. Laws, ules, egula ions, social no ms, habi s, ou ines, adi ions, and so on se he
ame when wo economic agen s collabo a e. The in e nal ins i u ional logic o he ac o s, hei
incen i e s uc u es, o ganiza ional o ms, codes o conduc , co po a e cul u e, and alues equally
in luence he collabo a ion. I makes a di e ence whe he wo i ms o simila size om he same
indus y wo k oge he , o whe he a mul ina ional company, a uni e si y, and a ci il socie y o ga-
niza ion collabo a e, e en mo e, i hose pa ne s come om di e en coun ies wi h di e en
languages and di e en legisla ions. As he ins i u ional amewo k is dependen on locali y, he e
is a link be ween ins i u ional and geog aphical p oximi y, bu o cou se, no cong uence, as wo
spa ially close agen s can be sepa a ed by na ional bo de s, o be si ua ed in adjacen ye di e en
egions wi h legal o cul u al peculia i ies.
Lopoli o e al. (2022) see ins i u ional p oximi y as an impo an d i e in ne wo ks o sus ain-
able inno a ions, howe e wi h a ying impo ance in di e en phases o a collabo a ion. Dubois
(2019)alsodesc ibes he changing ele anceo ins i u ionalp oximi y.Wi h epea ed in e ac ions,
he ac o s inc easingly ely on ins i u ional p oximi y in he o m o a “ aci ly ag eed code o con-
duc .” Ghassim (2018) dis inguishes be ween o mal and in o mal ins i u ional p oximi y, wi h
he i s being ules and laws and he second being no ms and alues. He inds ha o mal ins i-
u ional p oximi y is conduci e o sus ainable p ocess and p oduc inno a ions, while in o mal
ins i u ional p oximi y posi i ely a ec s social inno a ions. T. Hansen (2014) desc ibes a ying
le els o ins i u ional p oximi y when i comes o access o complemen a y echnology and he
acquisi ion o new knowledge. On he one hand, ins i u ional p oximi y seems o be a way o
compensa ing o a lack o cogni i e p oximi y. On he o he hand, collabo a ions be ween i ms
and pa ne s om o he ins i u ional ealms such as academia, s a e ins i u ions, o NGOS seem
o be pa icula ly conduci e o inno a ions, appa en ly due o complemen a y knowledge bases,
wo king ou ines, and incen i e s uc u es.
4.5 O ganiza ional p oximi y
O ganiza ional p oximi y desc ibes o wha ex en he collabo a ion be ween wo ac o s is o mal-
ized in an o ganiza ional a angemen . This can ange om a e y low le el o p oximi y in he
o m o ad-hoc collabo a ions wi h no o mal ies o e y high p oximi y le els wi h he exis ence
o a o mal hie a chy, o example, when wo depa men s o he same coope a ion o wo i ms
belonging o he same pa en company collabo a e. In be ween a e o he o ms o o mal se ings
such as loosely coupled ne wo ks based on coope a ion ag eemen s o conso ia o independen
en i ies wo king oge he on a unded p ojec . This p oximi y dimension is hus abou con ol
WILKE and PYKA 341
and powe , and he co esponding abili y o s ee economic ac i i y and p e en oppo unis ic
beha io .
Delgadillo e al. (2021) see o ganiza ional p oximi y as being essen ial o he ela ionship
be ween coope a ing ac o s, as he sha ing o s a egies and o ganiza ional s uc u es signi ican ly
imp o es coo dina ion be ween hem. Dubois (2019) inds ha wi h epea ed in e ac ions, pa -
ne s end o es ablish modes o mo e o malized coope a ion, hus inc easing o ganiza ional
p oximi y. This seems o simpli y ou ine-based o ms o coope a ion which also wo k in he
absence o o he o ms o p oximi y. Ghassim (2018) inds a posi i e ela ionship be ween o gani-
za ionalp oximi y and social inno a ionsin collabo a ionsamongdis an ac o s.T. Hansen (2014)
inds ha o ganiza ional p oximi y is usually low in pa ne ships ha aim a b inging oge he
complemen a y echnologies o se e he pu pose o exchanging new knowledge, as i seems
unlikely ha he desi ed echnology o knowledge can be ound a an a ilia ed company. The e-
o e, hese collabo a ions egula ly in ol e esea ch ins i u es and o he pa ne s, wi h whom
in o mal ela ions a e mo e common. Ie oli e al. (2019) see a s ong connec ion be ween he
use o ICT in he collabo a ion o geog aphically dis an ac o s and he c ea ion o new ne wo k
s uc u es, hus leading o an inc ease in o ganiza ional p oximi y. ICT allows he es ablishmen
o mechanisms and ag eemen s o coo dina e he emo e con ol o economic ac i i ies and lows
o knowledge, hus educing unce ain y and acili a ing he de elopmen o inno a ions.
4.6 Social p oximi y
The idea behind social p oximi y is de i ed om he a gumen ha almos all economic ac i i y is
embedded in social ela ions (G ano e e , 1985). Social p oximi y is exp essed h ough social ies
on hemic ole elsuchas kinship, iendship,o mu ual sympa hy.I is based on p io expe iences
and in ol es us . I hus acili a es he exchange o knowledge as i educes he unce ain y abou
he mo i es o o he agen s, diminishing he isk o oppo unism. Social p oximi y can p o ide
in o mal mechanisms based on pe sonal con ac s, which can be e en mo e e icien han o mal
ules o collabo a ing as hey in ol e lowe ansac ion cos s.
Coenen e al. (2010) suppo his iew, as hey emphasize he impo ance o us be ween he
ac o s in inno a ion ne wo ks occupied wi h adically new echnologies. Lopoli o e al. (2022)
also see social p oximi y as a d i e o niche ne wo king. Fo Dubois (2019), social p oximi y is
especially impo an in he absence o o malized modes o coope a ion, and in cases wi h low
ins i u ional p oximi y. T. Hansen (2014) inds ha i ms seeking pa ne s o acqui e new knowl-
edge and echnologies o en desi e a high le el o social p oximi y. The eason seems o be ha
high social p oximi y helps o o e come di icul ies a ising ou o low cogni i e p oximi y. Coope -
a ion be ween wo pa ne s who sha e a small common knowledge base equi es mo e esou ces.
I akes mo e ime and e o o unde s and each o he and misunde s andings a e mo e likely
o occu . Fu he mo e, he compe encies and expe ise o one pa ne migh no be ully e i i-
able by he o he . T us helps o mi iga e hese p oblems. The same seems o be he case o low
geog aphical p oximi y. Knowledge exchange is acili a ed by social p oximi y in si ua ions, in
which pa ne s ha e di icul ies mee ing egula ly due o high cos s o lack o ime caused by long
a el dis ances. Con e sely, geog aphical p oximi y can help build us by acili a ing egula
ace- o- ace exchange (Delgadillo e al., 2021).
Apa om p io expe ience in collabo a ing, Velen u (2016) desc ibes ano he sou ce o us
ele an o sus ainable inno a ions, namely sha ed belie s abou he necessi y o a ans o ma ion
owa d sus ainabili y. This a he “cogni i e-based” o m o us is e y simila o he inding
342 WILKE and PYKA
desc ibed by Dubois (2019) abou he ele ance o a sha ed objec i e (see 4.3 cogni i e p oxim-
i y). As o he o he p oximi y dimensions, i seems app op ia e o analyze he ole o social
p oximi y in combina ion wi h he o he p oximi y dimensions, which we will do in he nex
sec ion.
4.7 In e dependencies o he p oximi y dimensions
To be e unde s and he knowledge p ocesses in sus ainable inno a ion ne wo ks, i is help ul
o ake a close look a he in e dependencies o he di e en p oximi y dimensions. In p inciple,
all dimensions a e ele an o analyzing he occu ence o sus ainable inno a ions (Velen u
&Jensen,2016). And all dimensions can ha e a posi i e e ec on knowledge exchange and he
eme gence o sus ainable inno a ions (Addy & Dube, 2018), jus as hey do o con en ional
inno a ions, al hough hey migh depic a he low le els o e y new, dis up i e echnologies,
compa ed o well-es ablished ones (Ra en e al., 2012). None heless, he ques ion a ises, whe he
a high le el in all dimensions a he same ime is desi able (o e en easible) when o ming ne -
wo ks o sus ainable inno a ions, conside ing ha oo much p oximi y migh hampe inno a i e
pe o mance (Boschma, 2005). As Ie oli e al. (2019) pu i , he success o such ne wo ks is likely
o depend on a balanced le el o p oximi y in all dimensions, wi h none being oo s ong no
oo weak. Tani e al. (2021) come o a e y simila conclusion wi h hei agen -based model (as
p esen ed abo e): Ne wo ks aking in o accoun mul iple dimensions o p oximi y ou pe o m
ne wo ks concen a ing solely on geog aphical p oximi y.
In ou e iew, we ound mainly wo mechanisms ega ding he in e dependency o he di e en
p oximi y dimensions. The i s one is ein o cemen : High p oximi y in one dimension can lead
o an inc eased le el o p oximi y in ano he dimension. The second mechanism is a dyadic e ec
o ei he o e lap o subs i u ion: A high le el o p oximi y in one dimension can gap he dis ance
in ano he dimension.
AddyandDube(2018) ind se e al ein o cemen e ec s in hei case s udy, which wo k o e
di e en ime ho izons. In he sho un, geog aphical p oximi y can enable cogni i e p oximi y,
as a close, di ec ace- o- ace in e ac ion acili a es knowledge exchange (including he exchange
o aci knowledge) o c ea ing a common unde s anding. In he medium e m, o mal o gani-
za ional s uc u es a e likely o posi i ely in luence cogni i e p oximi y and social p oximi y, as
hey os e con inuous exchange and p o ide sha ed esou ces. In he long un, o ganiza ional
p oximi y can u he mo e ein o ce ins i u ional p oximi y in he o m o sha ed codes o con-
duc , no ms, and alues. Royo-Vela and Mazanda ani (2022), looking a he ela ionships be ween
he non-spa ial p oximi y dimensions, also ind ha ins i u ional p oximi y and social p oximi y
a e a ec ed by o ganiza ional p oximi y, as well as ice e sa. Howe e , hey ind no ela ionship
be ween o ganiza ional and cogni i e p oximi y. They u he mo e ind ha social p oximi y as
well as ins i u ional p oximi y a e bo h a ec ed by cogni i e p oximi y, and ice e sa. Be ween
ins i u ional and social p oximi y, hey ind no ela ionship. They ind he s onges link be ween
ins i u ional and o ganiza ional p oximi y and s a e ha he social dimension has he weakes
measu able e ec on o he dimensions. Dubois (2019) sees ha social and cogni i e p oximi y can
lead o o ganiza ional and ins i u ional p oximi y, as collabo a ions based p ima ily on us and
mu ual unde s anding become mo e o malized and based on ag eed p ocedu es. Se e al au ho s
(Delgadillo e al., 2021; Dubois, 2019; Lopoli o e al., 2022) e e o he a gumen , ha geog aphical
p oximi y a o s he building o us and hence enables social p oximi y.
The second e ec , he o e lap o subs i u ion o di e en p oximi y dimensions, is com-
p ehensi ely desc ibed by T. Hansen (2015), al hough he limi s his analysis o spa ial e sus
WILKE and PYKA 343
non-spa ial p oximi y dimensions and does no ela e he di e en non-spa ial dimensions o
each o he . T. Hansen (2015) inds a subs i u ion e ec be ween social and geog aphical p ox-
imi y, as i ms collabo a e mo e easily wi h unknown pa ne s ha a e spa ially close bu p e e
he p esence o es ablished social ies when pa ne s a e a away. Fu he mo e, he inds o e lap
be ween geog aphical and ins i u ional p oximi y esul ing om he ac ha many ins i u ions
a e place-bound, which suppo s he no ion ha long-dis ance collabo a ions mainly s uggle
wi h ins i u ional di e ences. Fo cogni i e and geog aphical p oximi y, he also inds a subs i-
u ion e ec : Pa ne s being spa ially close o each o he o en ha e di e en , complemen a y
knowledge bases. The same esul was ound by Dubois (2019) and Ie oli e al. (2019), who see an
inc eased ele ance o cogni i e p oximi y in long-dis ance collabo a ions, as a low equency o
pe sonal mee ings o he eplacemen o ace- o- ace con ac s by ICT inc eases he need o ha e
sha ed unde s andings. Fo o ganiza ional and geog aphical p oximi y, T. Hansen (2015) indsa
s ong subs i u ion e ec , which is also epo ed by Ghassim (2018): Fo malized ne wo ks can
signi ican ly acili a e knowledge exchange wi h pa ne s ha a e a away. The wo king mech-
anism seems o be simila o ha o social p oximi y. This iew is suppo ed by Velen u (2016)
who inds ha social and o ganiza ional p oximi y can wo k as subs i u es, howe e , wi h some
limi a ions as us and o mal a angemen s a e o some ex en complemen a y and canno ully
eplace each o he .
5DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Fi ms inc easingly ocus on ex e nal knowledge when de eloping sus ainable inno a ions
(Aldie i e al., 2019). This knowledge can o en be ound wi h non-p o i pa ne s such as esea ch
ins i u es, s a e agencies, o ci il socie y o ganiza ions, which leads o inno a ion ne wo ks wi h
di e en ac o cons ella ions, compa ed o con en ional, pu ely economic inno a ions. To be -
e unde s and he knowledge lows in such sus ainabili y-o ien ed inno a ion ne wo ks, we
conduc ed a sys ema ic li e a u e e iew ocusing on he concep o p oximi y wi h i s i e dimen-
sions. The e iew shows ha each dimension in i sel is aluable o unde s anding he linkages
be ween he ac o s in inno a ion ne wo ks. Howe e , looking a he in e dependencies o he
dimensions allows u he insigh s in o he wo king mechanisms a hand. We ound wo e ec s
in he li e a u e. One is he ein o cemen e ec : Ce ain p oximi y dimensions can enable o he
dimensions. The second e ec is subs i u ion o o e lap: Ce ain p oximi y dimensions can
eplace o he dimensions, whe eas o he dimensions show a high deg ee o o e lap.
We ound ha geog aphic p oximi y is highly conduci e o sus ainable inno a ions, as i allows
o equen ace- o- ace con ac and he exchange o aci knowledge, which is especially ele an
o ac o cons ella ions wi h low (ini ial) le els o us , in he absence o o mal ies, and o col-
labo a ions wi h low cogni i e p oximi y. Howe e , geog aphical p oximi y is no p e equisi e and
migh limi he inno a i e pe o mance o a ne wo k i dis an pa ne s wi h ele an knowledge
a e excluded.
Cogni i e p oximi y is he only p oximi y dimension ha appea s o be a p e equisi e o
knowledge exchange o wo k p ope ly. Wi hou a ce ain le el o abso p i e capaci y and mu ual
unde s anding, i is highly unlikely ha wo pa ne s will ui ully exchange knowledge o p o-
li ically c ea e new join knowledge. Howe e , oo much cogni i e p oximi y lea es li le space
o genuine new knowledge combina ions. Rega ding he social and en i onmen al aspec s o
sus ainabili y, compa ably low le els o cogni i e p oximi y seem p omising, combining he
speci ic sus ainabili y knowledge o esea ch and ci il socie y pa ne s wi h he economic,
344 WILKE and PYKA
ma ke -o ien ed knowledge o i ms. Pa ne cons ella ions wi h low le els o cogni i e p oxim-
i y, howe e , seem o equi e highe le els in o he p oximi y dimensions o coope a ion o be
e ec i e.
This leads o ins i u ional p oximi y. A common ins i u ional amewo k in he o m o ules,
egula ions, and social no ms ha apply o all pa ne s, can signi ican ly acili a e coope a ion.
The same holds o he in e nal ins i u ional se ings o he in ol ed pa ne s. Collabo a ion
be ween wo uni e si ies is acili a ed by he simila i y o he incen i es and cons ain s aced
by bo h pa ne s. Bu , ega ding he a gumen abo e, ha sus ainabili y-o ien ed inno a ion ne -
wo ks ha e a highe inno a i e po en ial i hey include pa ne s om di e en ins i u ional
sphe es (business, academia, s a e, and ci il socie y), a low le el o in e nal ins i u ional p oxim-
i y seems mo e p omising. This leads us o conclude ha spli ing up he ins i u ional p oximi y
dimension in o a mic o le el and a mac o le el is a ui ul app oach o be e analyzing he
ins i u ional se ing o such inno a ion ne wo ks. The mac o le el would e e o legisla ion and
cul u e o a speci ic locali y (which is linked o geog aphical p oximi y), and he mic o le el would
e e o he in e nal o ganiza ional logic o he in ol ed agen s.
O ganiza ional and social p oximi y a e bo h conduci e o knowledge exchange and sus-
ainable inno a ions, especially in ac o cons ella ions wi h low ins i u ional, cogni i e, o
geog aphical p oximi y. Bo h dimensions can u he mo e subs i u e each o he o a ce ain
ex en , and bo h can lead o highe le els o cogni i e p oximi y.
Summing up, he ne wo ks de eloping sus ainable inno a ions can be cha ac e ized by a ious
combina ions o di e en ly p onounced p oximi y dimensions. A e y high le el in all p oximi y
dimensions seems unlikely (and no e y a o able o sus ainable solu ions), as does a e y low
le el in all dimensions. Going back o he unde s anding o sus ainable inno a ions as sys em-
wide, adical changes ha ha e o be mo e han me ely inc emen al echnological no el ies, he
ollowingcombina ion o p oximi ydimensions seemsplausible:Lowcogni i ep oximi yandlow
mic o-ins i u ional p oximi y, as ac o s om di e en ins i u ional sphe es (business, academia,
s a e, ci il socie y) a e in ol ed, ha ing highly di e se knowledge se s; in combina ion wi h ei he
high social, high o ganiza ional o high geog aphical (linked o high mac o-ins i u ional) p oxim-
i y, p o iding e ec i e mechanisms o mi iga ing he p oblems a ising ou o low cogni i e and
low mic o-ins i u ional p oximi y.
A simple example illus a es his a gumen : A ne wo k consis ing o a uni e si y, a i m, an
en i onmen al o ganiza ion, and a go e nmen agency, each ha ing i s sec o -speci ic, special-
ized knowledge base, could be a p omising s a ing poin o de eloping sus ainable inno a ions
i hey (A) ha e a binding o ganiza ional a angemen , such as a conso ium ag eemen (o gani-
za ional p oximi y); o (B) ha e a high le el o us o each o he due o p io expe ienceswo king
oge he o due o pe sonal ies (social p oximi y); o (C) a e spa ially close o each o he , e.g., a e
all si ua ed in he same municipali y. O cou se, a combina ion would be imaginable as well: E.g.
wo ha e wo ked oge he be o e, wo a e spa ially close and all pa ne s oge he ha e signed a
memo andum o unde s anding o coope a ing.
The esul s o ou s udy sugges a numbe o policy implica ions. Fi s , i appea s impo an o
acknowledge he ele ance o di e se ac o cons ella ions in shaping knowledge p ocesses. Poli-
cies could incen i ize he inclusion o a ious s akeholde s, including hose om di e en sec o s,
disciplines, and backg ounds, o p omo e a iche exchange o ideas and pe spec i es. This could
be done in he ame o unding schemes o esea ch and de elopmen p ojec s. Such unding
ins umen s could equi e he inclusion o ac o s om speci ic g oups, which appea s especially
ele an o including ci il socie y ac o s and go e nmen al agencies. Howe e , such app oaches
mus be balanced wi h he unding models o pu ely cu iosi y-d i en basic esea ch. Ano he
WILKE and PYKA 345
app oach could be a p oac i e egula o y amewo k and incen i iza ion s a egy o encou age
mo e ac i e in ol emen o go e nmen al ac o s in sus ainabili y-o ien ed inno a ion ne wo ks.
Second, inno a ion policy should add ess coo dina ion challenges by conside ing he a ious
dimensions o p oximi y and hei in e dependencies by elabo a ing s a egies o enhanc-
ing speci ic p oximi y dimensions whe e needed o le e aging exis ing s eng hs in o he
dimensions. Co esponding ins umen s could be used o help ac o s wi h low cogni i e and low
(mic o-)ins i u ional p oximi y o success ully es ablish ne wo ks. I appea s plausible ha such
ins umen s should p ima ily a ge social and o ganiza ional p oximi y, as he geog aphical
ci cums ances o es ablished ac o s a e mo e di icul o change. This could also en ich egional
clus e ing ac i i ies by p o iding access o emo e agen s who possess aluable knowledge.
Following ou li e a u e e iew, he nex s ep would be he a emp o alida e ou indings.
Fo his pu pose, a comp ehensi e analysis o a la ge numbe o sus ainable inno a ions and
he ne wo ks behind hem would be p omising. An empi ical, quan i a i e s udy o he di e en
p oximi y dimensions in hese ne wo ks could p o ide u he insigh s in o whe he he abo e-
men ioned combina ions o p oximi y le els a e indeed p e alen . Such a s udy could in ol e
di e en indus ies and egions o p o ide a comp ehensi e unde s anding o sus ainable inno-
a ion ne wo ks. One challenge p esumably is he iden i ica ion o such ne wo ks. As men ioned
abo e, pa en da a o da a on co-publica ions migh no be he bes p oxies o sus ainable inno a-
ions. Ano he app oach could be o u ilize da abases o esea ch and de elopmen p ojec s, such
as da a on he Eu opean F amewo k P og ams (CORDIS). A e iden i ying ele an inno a ion
ne wo ks, da a collec ion could be done based on su eys and ques ionnai es.
Howe e be o e conducing a quali a i e analysis, i seems app op ia e o aim o u he con-
cep ual cla i ica ion o wo p oximi y dimensions. The i s one is ins i u ional p oximi y which
should be sepa a ed in o wo dis inc sub-dimensions, one being mic o-ins i u ional p oximi y
and he o he one being mac o-ins i u ional p oximi y.
The second p oximi y dimension ha seems o need u he concep ual esea ch, is cogni i e
p oximi y. The indings o his dimension a e mixed, p esumably due o he e e ed U-shaped
ela ion be ween cogni i e p oximi y and inno a ion. I would be in e es ing o go in o mo e de ail
and examine cogni i e p oximi y in ela ion o di e en ypes o knowledge. As he e is a mul i-
ude o knowledge ypologies, he ini ial s ep would be o choose an app op ia e one. Since he
inno a ions we a e sc u inizing all e e o sus ainabili y, a sui able choice seems o be he i-
pa i e o sys ems knowledge, ans o ma i e knowledge, and no ma i e knowledge, which is
widely ecognized as being impo an o a ans o ma ion owa d sus ainabili y (Abson e al.,
2014; U me ze e al., 2018; Weh den e al., 2017;Wieke al.,2012).
In-dep h case s udies on hese wo p oximi y dimensions and hei di e en ia ion in o sub-
dimensions po en ially p o ide ich insigh s in o he nuances o ins i u ional p oximi y and
cogni i e p oximi y and how hey in luence sus ainable inno a ion ne wo ks. This could be
done by examining eal-wo ld examples o sus ainable inno a ions o unde s and how hese wo
dimensions mani es in p ac ice.
Ano he a enue o u he esea ch could be he compa a i e analysis ac oss di e en he-
ma ic ields and egions. I would be in e es ing o explo e whe he he ela ionships be ween
he p oximi y dimensions hold consis en ly ac oss di e en sec o s and egions. A compa a i e
analysis could e eal whe he ce ain p oximi y con igu a ions a e mo e p e alen o e ec i e in
speci ic con ex s. This could lead o aluable insigh s o policymake s and p ac i ione s aiming
o os e sus ainable inno a ions in di e se se ings.
The sys ema ic li e a u e e iew we p esen ed he e, has i s limi a ions. As wi h e e y sys ema ic
e iew, he e is always he isk o omi ing a ele an pape , which we ied o coun e ac by using
346 WILKE and PYKA
e y b oad sea ch e ms in wo da abases wi h wide co e age, by applying a ia ions in he sea ch
e ms, and by conduc ing ho ough ci a ion snowballing (checking o ele an e e ences, which
o cou se is limi ed by elying on he se o ci ed a icles). These s eps also helped o minimize
po en ial biases in he sea ch e ms.
The me hodical plu alisms o he pape s we analyzed is ano he poin , which we see as an
ad an age as i o e s di e en s udies o p oximi y om a a ie y o di e en angles. Howe e ,
inhe en o compa ing such a mul iplici y o app oaches is he challenge o ha ing di e en
de ini ions, ope a ionaliza ions, and measu emen app oaches, and hence a ce ain deg ee o con-
cep ual uzziness and sligh a ia ions in he exac meanings o he unde lying concep s. This
a iabili y in de ini ions and ope a ionaliza ions should be associa ed wi h challenges in gene -
alizing he indings o he s udy. Howe e , we belie e ha he commonali ies o he di e en
pape s ou weigh he sligh a ia ions in he used de ini ions, hus allowing o compa ison and
hus he de i a ion o gene al indings. The abo e-men ioned a enues o u u e esea ch add ess
hese issues by examining whe he i is possible o clus e he p e alen a ia ions in o subg oups
based on speci ic c i e ia.
None heless, we belie e ou s udy con ibu es o he ield o inno a ion economics and p o-
ides help ul insigh s o p ac i ione s, such as i ms sea ching o sui able coope a ion pa ne s,
policymake s d a ing p og ams o p omo ing sus ainable inno a ions, o ci il socie y ini ia i es
seeking s a egies o ad ance hei causes.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We a e g a e ul o he help ul commen s and sugges ions ha we e p o ided du ing he anony-
mous e iew p ocess. Fu he mo e, we would like o hank he Managing Edi o Les Oxley o his
aluable sugges ions. Any emaining e o s a e ou sole esponsibili y.
Open access unding enabled and o ganized by P ojek DEAL.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The au ho s decla e no con lic s o in e es .
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
No applicable.
ORCID
Ul ichWilke h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-7159-3558
And easPyka h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0001-6207-6690
ENDNOTE
1The exac sea ch que ies we e TITLE-ABS-KEY(p oximi y AND sus ainab* AND (inno a * OR knowledge)) o
Scopus and TS =(p oximi y AND sus ainab* AND (inno a * OR knowledge)) o Web o Science
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