Exploring the nexus of innovation management, ultraviolet irradiation, and business scale: Implications for sustainable fruit and vegetable preservation during the COVID-19 era

Kydy beko a, Assel; Mei amkulo a, Kulyash; Kydy beko a, Aliya; Mkilima, Timo h
A icle
Explo ing he nexus o inno a ion managemen , ul a iole i adia ion,
and business scale: Implica ions o sus ainable ui and ege able
p ese a ion du ing he COVID-19 e a
Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Sp inge Na u e
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Kydy beko a, Assel; Mei amkulo a, Kulyash; Kydy beko a, Aliya; Mkilima, Timo h
(2024) : Explo ing he nexus o inno a ion managemen , ul a iole i adia ion, and business scale:
Implica ions o sus ainable ui and ege able p ese a ion du ing he COVID-19 e a, Jou nal o
Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship, ISSN 2192-5372, Sp inge , Heidelbe g, Vol. 13, Iss. 1, pp. 1-27,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1186/s13731-024-00365-9
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RESEARCH
Kydy beko ae al.
Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
h ps://doi.o g/10.1186/s13731-024-00365-9
Jou nal o Inno a ion and
En ep eneu ship
Explo ing henexus o inno a ion
managemen , ul a iole i adia ion,
andbusiness scale: implica ions o sus ainable
ui and ege able p ese a ion
du ing heCOVID-19 e a
Assel Kydy beko a1, Kulyash Mei amkulo a2, Aliya Kydy beko a1 and Timo h Mkilima3*
Abs ac
Inno a ion managemen s ands as a pi o al d i e in a aining endu ing sus ainabili y
in li elihoods. Howe e , i s p og ess can ace o midable obs acles, encompassing
he complexi ies a ising om human pe cep ions. This esea ch del ed in o he ealm
o inno a ion managemen wi hin he con ex o ui and ege able p ese a ion,
wi h a keen ocus on he po en ial impac o he COVID-19 pandemic and he pe cep-
ual e alua ions su ounding he iabili y o u ilizing ul a iole (UV) i adia ion o his
pu pose. The pe cei ed e ec i eness o UV i adia ion in ui and ege able p ese a-
ion was ound o be signi ican ly in luenced by ac o s, such as cos , sa e y, and lim-
i ed unde s anding. The esponden s’ p e e ence o p ese ed ui s and ege ables
was mos signi ican ly in luenced by he elimina ion o pa hogenic mic oo ganisms,
as indica ed by a mean sco e o 4.6. No ably, a ound 50.9% o he pa icipan s dem-
ons a ed a lack o unde s anding ega ding he use o ul a iole i adia ion as a p es-
e a ion echnology. In addi ion, app oxima ely 21.6% o he esponden s exp essed
disin e es in adop ing ul a iole i adia ion o p ese ing ui s and ege ables. In
con as , a smalle pe cen age o pa icipan s, me ely 12.3%, showed a posi i e inclina-
ion owa ds employing ul a iole i adia ion in he p ese a ion p ocess. In e es -
ingly, app oxima ely 15.2% o esponden s emained undecided and did no exp ess
a de ini i e p e e ence conce ning hei willingness o u ilize ul a iole i adia ion
o p ese ing ui s and ege ables. No ably, he analysis has e ealed a compelling
end, wi h a subs an ial po ion o pa icipan s (63%) pe cei ing medium-sized en e -
p ises in ol ed in ui and ege able p ocessing echnologies as displaying no ably
low le els o mo i a ion o inno a ion du ing he COVID-19 e a. A simila iewpoin
was sha ed by 51% o esponden s ega ding la ge-scale businesses. In s a k con as ,
he su ey has illumina ed a s iking dispa i y, as small-scale businesses exhibi ed
signi ican ly heigh ened inno a ion mo i a ion a 28%, su passing he modes 10%
obse ed in bo h medium-sized and la ge-scale coun e pa s. This p onounced a ia-
ion in inno a ion mo i a ion ac oss di e se business scales highligh s he mul i ace ed
impac o he pandemic on hei inclina ion owa ds emb acing inno a ion. These
*Co espondence:
[email p o ec ed]
1 Depa men o Managemen ,
L.N. Gumilyo Eu asian Na ional
Uni e si y, Nu -Sul an 010000,
Kazakhs an
2 Depa men o En i onmen al
Enginee ing and Managemen ,
L.N. Gumilyo Eu asian Na ional
Uni e si y, Nu -Sul an 010000,
Kazakhs an
3 Depa men o En i onmen al
Enginee ing and Managemen ,
The Uni e si y o Dodoma, P. O.
Box 259, Dodoma, Tanzania
Page 2 o 27
Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
indings o e in aluable insigh s in o he in icacies go e ning inno a ion manage-
men wi hin he ui and ege able p ese a ion sec o amids he challenging COVID-
19 pe iod.
Keywo ds: COVID-19, Ques ionnai e su ey, Inno a ion managemen , F ui s and
ege able p ese a ion, Food secu i y
In oduc ion
The COVID-19 pandemic has le an indelible ma k on a ious aspec s o socie y, includ-
ing business p ac ices and inno a ion managemen . Among he sec o s signi ican ly
impac ed is he ealm o ui and ege able p ese a ion, whe e no el app oaches ha e
been sough o ensu e ood sa e y and secu i y du ing hese challenging imes (Li on &
Bea e s, 2021). Inno a ion managemen has eme ged as a c i ical ac o in na iga ing
he unce ain ies b ough abou by he pandemic, and i s impac on a i udes owa ds
p ese a ion me hods, such as ul a iole (UV) i adia ion, has ga ne ed conside able
a en ion (Melendez e al., 2019). F ui s and ege ables play a pi o al ole in p omo -
ing o e all heal h and well-being, making hei consump ion o pa amoun impo ance
(Pocol e al., 2021; Sil a e al., 2020; Wu e al., 2021). Rich in essen ial i amins, mine als,
an ioxidan s, and die a y ibe s, hese nu ien -packed oods o e a wide a ay o heal h
bene i s. Consuming ui s and ege ables egula ly is well-known o educing he isk
o ch onic diseases, such as hea disease, s oke, and a ious cance s (Dauche e al.,
2006) (Hu e al., 2014) (Oyebode e al., 2014). Fu he mo e, he inclusion o ui s and
ege ables, in a balanced die holds alue due o hei low-calo ie con en . They can aid
in weigh managemen and con ibu e o main aining a body weigh (Tohill e al., 2004).
The wide a ay o colo s and la o s ound in hese oods enhances he ea ing expe i-
ence encou aging indi iduals o adop a mo e di e se and balanced die a y app oach.
These nou ishing oods play a ole in suppo ing an ac i e li es yle p o iding no jus
ene gy o he body bu also con ibu ing o diges ion, immuni y, and skin heal h (Hen-
d ix e al., 2008). By inco po a ing a ange o ui s and ege ables in o meals indi iduals
can es ablish a s ong ounda ion o imp o ed o e all well-being. Howe e , i is impo -
an o no e ha he ui and ege able indus y has aced challenges due o he impac
o COVID-19. This has esul ed in consequences (de Paulo Fa ias & de A aújo, 2020;
Ridley & De adoss, 2021; Ridley e al., 2023). As businesses s i e o na iga e h ough
shi ing ma ke demands dis up ions in supply chains and changes, in consume beha -
io caused by he c isis e ec i e inno a ion managemen has become inc easingly c u-
cial o hei su i al and g ow h (Ku iesha & Fa manesh, 2022).
In a elen less pu sui o sus aining compe i i eness, en e p ises ope a ing wi hin he
ui and ege able p ese a ion domain ha e been compelled o unde ake a comp e-
hensi e eassessmen o hei s a egies while wholehea edly emb acing inno a i e pa -
adigms. Amongs he me hodologies ha ha e cap u ed conside able a en ion s ands
he applica ion o ul a iole (UV) i adia ion as a p ese a ion echnique, as highligh ed
by he insigh ul esea ch o (Ku iesha & Fa manesh, 2022). I has been expounded by
Yemmi eddy e al. (Yemmi eddy e al., 2022) ha UV i adia ion possesses he inhe en
capaci y o e ec i ely cu ail mic obial con amina ion and subs an ially p olong he shel
li e o eshly ha es ed p oduce. Howe e , he adop ion o UV i adia ion in he indus-
y has been subjec o di e se in luences, encompassing mul i ace ed conside a ions,
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
such as cos dynamics, sa e y app ehensions, and pe cep ions conce ning i s o e all e i-
cacy. In ligh o he ongoing pandemic, he e’s a ascina ing and c ucial a ea ha has
no ecei ed much a en ion—how i has impac ed inno a ion managemen and a i-
udes owa ds inno a i e p ese a ion me hods. This makes i a cap i a ing subjec ha
dese es mo e schola ly explo a ion.
P ese ing he nu i ional goodness o ui s and ege ables is inc edibly impo an . I
ensu es ha when we consume hem, we ge all he heal h bene i s hey o e . As high-
ligh ed by Tylewicz and colleagues (Tylewicz e al., 2019), hese oods a e packed wi h
essen ial i amins, mine als, an ioxidan s, and die a y ibe s ha con ibu e signi ican ly
o ou o e all well-being. Khokha e al.’s (Khokha e al., 2021) au ho i a i e esea ch in
2021 ein o ces his ac . No only does p ese ing hese nu i ious oods ex end hei
shel li e, bu i also helps educe ood was e and enhances ood secu i y, a c i ical con-
ce n in oday’s wo ld. While adi ional me hods such as canning, eezing, and d ying
ha e been widely used, hey come wi h limi a ions when compa ed o he ans o ma i e
po en ial o ul a iole (UV) i adia ion. T adi ional p ese a ion me hods a e e ec i e
bu o en ene gy-in ensi e, con ibu ing o g eenhouse gas emissions and po en ially
comp omising he nu i ional con en o he p ese ed oods. Fo example, canning,
which in ol es high hea and p ese a i es, can deg ade hea -sensi i e nu ien s and
change he la o and ex u e o ui s and ege ables, as explained by Pu si o e al. in
2020 (Pu si o e al., 2020). F eezing, ano he popula me hod, can damage p oduce i no
s o ed co ec ly, leading o ha m ul ice c ys al o ma ion and nu ien loss, as poin ed
ou by Xin e al. in 2015 (Xin e al., 2015). D ying, while widely used, can esul in nu i-
en loss and may no be sui able o ui s and ege ables ha equi e speci ic mois u e
le els o p ese a ion, as discussed by Si ui e al. in 2021 (Si ui e al., 2021). In con as ,
UV i adia ion s ands ou as a p omising al e na i e. I e ec i ely educes mic obial
con amina ion in ui s and ege ables wi hou he need o chemicals o high empe a-
u es. Unlike adi ional me hods, i minimizes hea exposu e, which helps p ese e he
nu i ional con en o he p oduce. Mo eo e , UV i adia ion is a sa e choice o con-
sume s and he en i onmen , as i does no in oduce ha m ul chemicals o esidues, in
line wi h Lopez-Malo and Palou’s indings in 2004 (Lopez-Malo & Palou, 2004).
Adop ing UV i adia ion o p ese ing ui s and ege ables o e s nume ous ad an-
ages and could o e come some limi a ions o con en ional me hods, making i a mo e
e icien and sus ainable app oach. Howe e , o ensu e he e icacy and sa e y o UV i a-
dia ion in he ealm o ood p ese a ion, a judicious amalgama ion o u he esea ch
and me iculous implemen a ion s ands as an indispensable impe a i e. The spoil-
age o ui s and ege ables can ha e signi ican en i onmen al consequences, leading
o inc eased was e gene a ion and g eenhouse gas emissions (Alegbeleye e al., 2022).
When ui s and ege ables o and a e disca ded, hey end up in land ills, whe e hey
decompose anae obically, eleasing me hane gas—a po en g eenhouse gas ha con ib-
u es o clima e change. To minimize he en i onmen al impac caused by ui and eg-
e able spoilage, add essing ood spoilage h ough imp o ed s o age, anspo a ion, and
dis ibu ion p ocesses, as well as educing consume ood was e, is c ucial. By adop -
ing mo e sus ainable p ac ices, we can con ibu e o a mo e en i onmen ally esponsi-
ble app oach o ood consump ion and help mi iga e he en i onmen al consequences o
ui and ege able spoilage. As s a ed by Ka an h e al. (Ka an h e al., 2023), enhancing
Page 4 o 27
Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
and upholding sus ainabili y ha e in ol ed p ominen goals, such as minimizing ood
was e du ing ha es , pos ha es s ages, ood p ocessing, and a he consume le el.
The accep ance o echnology, especially ad ancemen s in ui p ese a ion, is g ea ly
in luenced by how people pe cei e i (Delho e e al., 2020). People’s a i udes, con ic-
ions, and opinions owa ds eme ging p ese a ion echnologies can ha e a big impac
on whe he o no hey choose o employ hem. The accep abili y and implemen a ion
o new ui p ese a ion echnologies a e likely o be in luenced by a ou able iews,
such as hose o imp o ed ood sa e y, a longe shel li e, and inc eased con enience. I s
gene al accep abili y, howe e , could be hampe ed by un a ou able imp essions, such as
wo ies abou po en ial e ec s on nu i ional alue, po en ial ad e se e ec s, o lack o
knowledge wi h he echnology. Building cus ome us and add essing any conce ns is
essen ial o o e coming hese obs acles. Accu a e and hones in o ma ion ega ding he
ad an ages and sa e y o hese echnologies mus be dis ibu ed. Some communi ies may
be mo e open o adop ing no el echnology, while o he s may show g ea e esis ance
o change; he e o e, cul u al and sociological issues may also be impo an (Bellamy,
2019). Inno a i e ui p ese a ion me hods mus be in oduced and in eg a ed suc-
cess ully o ensu e widesp ead adop ion, e ec i ely inc ease ood secu i y while mini-
mising ood was e, and o ensu e ha human pe cep ions a e unde s ood and add essed.
The cen al objec i e o his s udy is o explo e he in ica e in e play be ween he
COVID-19 pandemic and inno a ion managemen wi hin he ui and ege able p es-
e a ion indus y. The esea ch ques ion ocuses on how has COVID-19 impac ed inno-
a ion in he ui s and ege ables sec o , and wha is he in luence o pe cep ions on he
adop ion o UV adia ion o hei p ese a ion Mo e speci ically, he esea ch del es
in o he shi ing pe spec i es and sen imen s ega ding he p ospec i e u iliza ion o UV
i adia ion as a p ese a ion echnology. Un a eling hese de elopmen s assumes pa -
amoun signi icance in add essing he dis up ions aced by he ood supply chain and
ensu ing a consis en low o esh and secu e commodi ies. In i s pu sui o elucida -
ing hese dynamics, he s udy aspi es o u nish in aluable insigh s in o he e e -e ol -
ing landscape o inno a ion managemen amid he backd op o global dis up ions and
unce ain ies. By sc u inizing he epe cussions o he COVID-19 pandemic on inno a-
ion managemen p ac ices wi hin his sec o , and analyzing he e olu ion o a i udes
owa ds UV i adia ion, he esea ch endea o s o shed ligh on c i ical aspec s o adap-
a ion and esilience in he ace o unp eceden ed challenges. Ul ima ely, his in es i-
ga ion s i es o con ibu e o he ad ancemen o knowledge, he eby os e ing mo e
in o med decision-making and s a egic app oaches o na iga e he complexi ies o con-
empo a y imes.
Ma e ials andme hods
Desc ip ion o  hecase s udy
Kazakhs an, si ua ed in Cen al Asia, sha es i s bo de s wi h Ky gyzs an, Uzbekis an,
Tu kmenis an, Russia, China, and he Caspian Sea. Boas ing an expansi e e i o y, i
eigns as he la ges coun y in he egion and anks a o midable nin h globally in e ms
o land a ea, s e ching app oxima ely 1,820 miles om eas o wes and 960 miles om
no h o sou h. In iguingly, despi e i s geog aphical a ini y wi h o he Cen al Asian
na ions, Kazakhs an did no o mally all unde he Cen al Asia classi ica ion du ing he

Page 5 o 27
Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
So ie e a. While Kazakhs an has laid he g oundwo k o egula e inno a ion, ques ions
linge ega ding he e icacy o i s inno a ion- ela ed policies and ini ia i es on bo h a
na ional scale and wi hin speci ic indus ies, egions, and en e p ises. Cognizan o he
pi o al ole inno a ion plays in di e si ying i s esou ce-cen ic economy and p opel-
ling socioeconomic ad ancemen , Kazakhs an has ac i ely pu sued he cons uc ion o a
mode n esea ch and inno a ion ecosys em since he ea ly 2000s. These endea o s ha e
bo ne ui , yielding no ewo hy s ides in scien i ic esea ch and wi nessing some suc-
cess ul en u es in echnological comme cializa ion. Howe e , o ully ha ness i s po en-
ial, Kazakhs an mus o i y i s inno a ion capabili ies e en u he . To achie e his,
addi ional e o ms a e equi ed, ocusing on imp o ing he go e nance o he esea ch
and inno a ion sys em, enhancing he unding model o uni e si ies, expanding knowl-
edge ans e , and inc easing he e ec i eness o inno a ion incen i es and policies.
Emphasizing implemen a ion and e alua ion is c i ical in his endea o (OECD, 2022).
By add essing hese a eas, Kazakhs an can bols e i s capaci y o inno a e and d i e
p og ess in a ious sec o s, p opelling he na ion owa ds sus ained de elopmen and
p ospe i y.
Pe cep ions ega ding heuse o ul a iole echnology o p ese ing ui s
and ege ables
The p ima y objec i e o his s udy was o gauge Kazakh consume s’ pe spec i es on
ul a iole (UV) i adia ed ood, pa icula ly ocusing on ui s and ege ables. In
addi ion, he esea ch aimed o explo e he po en ial impac o p o iding educa ional
esou ces on UV i adia ion o in luence consume a i udes. The su ey, ca ied ou
be ween July 2022 and Janua y 2023, in ol ed a cus om-designed ques ionnai e c ea ed
by he esea che . I encompassed a ious aspec s, such as sociodemog aphic de ails,
such as gende , age, loca ion, and educa ional backg ound. In addi ion, i del ed in o
a i udes owa ds p ese ed ood, including pu chasing habi s, pe cei ed bene i s o
ood p ese a ion, and he equency o buying oods ea ed wi h di e en p ese a-
ion me hods. Mo eo e , he su ey in es iga ed esponden s’ knowledge and a i udes
owa ds ood i adia ion, including hei abili y o ecognize he i adia ed ood symbol,
pu chasing p e e ences, and comp ehension o he ad an ages i o e s.
To accomplish his, a mul imedia p esen a ion was u ilized, which co e ed opics,
such as global ood- ela ed diseases, he pu pose and impac o ood i adia ion on
nu ien s, and isual ep esen a ions o bo h i adia ed and uni adia ed ood p oduc s
a e s o age. Pa icipan s we e ques ioned abou i adia ed ood bo h be o e and a e
e iewing he educa ional ma e ials. The su ey was conduc ed olun a ily and anony-
mously online using Google Fo ms, gi en he p e ailing epidemic si ua ion, and was dis-
semina ed h ough social ne wo ks. The s udy employed andom sampling echniques,
speci ically a ge ing esiden s o Kazakhs an, and adhe ed o a speci ic o mula (Eq.1)
o de e mine he minimum sample size, ensu ing s a is ical alidi y.
By u ilizing he p o ided equa ion, he minimum sample size (Nmin) was de e mined
o be 384, aking in o accoun he popula ion size (Np), a con idence le el (α) o 95%, an
(1)
N
min =Np×(α
2
× 1− )
N
p
×e2+α2× (1−
)
Page 6 o 27
Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
assumed ac ion size ( ) o 50%, and a maximum e o (e) o 0.05. Howe e , conside ing
he lack o compa able su eys conduc ed in Kazakhs an, i was decided o expand he
s udy g oup. Consequen ly, a o al o 584 ques ionnai es we e success ully illed ou and
included in he analysis.
Su ey on hepossible dis u bances a ising om hepandemic
In his sec ion o he s udy, we del ed deep in o he in ica e ela ionship be ween he
social and economic consequences a ising om he dis up i e o ce o COVID-19 and
hei subsequen in luence on he u u e o ien a ion o inno a ion wi hin o ganiza ions.
In addi ion, ou objec i e was o e alua e how he widesp ead social and economic am-
i ica ions o COVID-19 ha e shaped he inancial esou ces alloca ed owa ds nu u ing
inno a ion in companies associa ed wi h he ui s and ege ables indus y. To achie e
his, ou s udy emba ked on a comp ehensi e ques ionnai e su ey in ol ing 54 en e -
p ises ope a ing in his sec o . We ca e ully c a ed he su ey ques ions o ex ac essen-
ial da a and gain pe inen insigh s. The ques ionnai e was me iculously s uc u ed in o
ou dis inc sec ions, each p ecisely ailo ed o add ess speci ic aspec s aligned wi h ou
esea ch objec i es:
1) Fi m-speci ic in o ma ion: This sec ion ga he ed de ails abou he size and scope o
ac i i ies o each o ganiza ion, p o iding a ounda ional unde s anding o he su -
eyed companies.
2) Mo i a ing Fac o s o Inno a ion: He e, we explo ed he d i ing o ces ha led each
company o emba k on inno a ion ini ia i es, wi h a speci ic ocus on inno a ions
ela ed o wa e . We aimed o unco e how hese mo i a ions we e shaped by he
p o ound social and economic impac s igge ed by he COVID-19 dis up ion.
3) Alloca ion o Funding: This sec ion p obed he ex en o which he social and
economic implica ions o COVID-19 ha e in luenced he alloca ion o inancial
esou ces dedica ed o inno a ion wi hin he espec i e i ms. I sough o e eal
shi s in unding p io i ies in esponse o he pandemic’s challenges.
4) Ra ing he Impac o COVID-19: Responden s we e asked o a e he in luence o
COVID-19 on a ious ace s o inno a ion managemen wi hin he p ese a ion o
ui s and ege ables. Using a scale anging om 1 (indica ing no signi ican impac )
o 5 (indica ing a s ong impac ), his comp ehensi e a ing sys em aimed o cap u e
nuanced a ia ions in he pandemic’s e ec s on inno a ion- ela ed aspec s wi hin
he indus y.
By s uc u ing he esea ch in his way, he s udy aimed o gain a holis ic and de ailed
unde s anding o how COVID-19 has eshaped inno a ion dynamics wi hin he ui s
and ege ables indus y, shedding ligh on he challenges and oppo uni ies ha ha e
a isen du ing hese unp eceden ed imes.
Emphasizing he indispensabili y o a ques ionnai e as an in aluable esea ch ins u-
men , i exempli ies a me iculously cu a ed a ay o inqui ies s a egically de ised o
solici comp ehensi e da a om esponden s du ing he conduc o su eys o in i-
ca e s a is ical analyses. I se es as he quin essen ial condui o ga ne ing p o ound
insigh s and nuanced pe spec i es. In his con ex ual milieu, he esponden - ep esen ed
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
co po a e en i ies ha e been judiciously classi ied in o h ee disc e e coho s, each bea -
ing unique cha ac e is ics and implica ions dese ing disce ning sc u iny. The ensuing
ca ego iza ion endea o s o dis ill he mul i ace ed in icacies unde pinning inno a ion
managemen , hus mani es ing as a cogen amewo k ha e ec i ely in o ms s a egic
decision-making in he ques o sus ainable ui and ege able p ese a ion s a egies
amids he o midable backd op o he COVID-19 epoch. As p e iously elucida ed, he
classi ica ion o business scales encompassed h ee well-de ined ca ego ies, delinea ed
on he basis o he numbe o employees wi hin each en e p ise. Small-scale en e p ises
cons i u e hose es ablishmen s ha bo ing a wo k o ce anging om 1 o 20 employees,
indica i e o hei compac ope a ional size and localized ocus. In con as , medium-
scale en e p ises encompass a mo e conside able con ingen o pe sonnel, comp ising
21 o 1000 indi iduals, he eby showcasing a measu ed expansion in bo h o ganiza ional
ou each and complexi y. Finally, he la ge-scale en e p ises su pass he h eshold o
1000 employees, emblema ic o hei expansi e co po a e s uc u es and consequen ial
global in luence. Employing his me iculous s a i ica ion amewo k a o ds a nuanced
and comp ehensi e examina ion o he di e se business scales, hus engende ing a p o-
ound comp ehension o hei indi idual con ibu ions and esponses in he ealm o
inno a ion managemen and sus ainable ui and ege able p ese a ion, pa icula ly
amid he unp eceden ed challenges posed by he COVID-19 e a. The gene al Fi ms’ dis-
ibu ion is p esen ed in Fig.1.
To uphold he s a is ical igo o he in es iga ion, he es ablishmen o an app op i-
a e minimum sample size was execu ed ia a p elimina y calcula ion. In he domain o
esea ch, he no ion o "sample size" pe ains o he numbe o indi iduals encompassed
wi hin he s udy o e ec i ely mi o he cha ac e is ics o he in ended a ge popula-
ion. This agg ega e o pa icipan s is equen ly s a i ied based on a ious demog aph-
ics o ensu e ha he inal sample accu a ely ep esen s he en i e y o he communi y
unde sc u iny. The selec ion o an op imal sample size cons i u es a pi o al ace o he
subsequen s a is ical analysis, as i di ec ly in luences he p ecision and eliabili y o
he s udy’s indings. The speci ic o mula employed o asce aining he sample size in
his segmen o he s udy is succinc ly encapsula ed wi hin Eq.2. This o mula akes in o
accoun se e al c i ical ac o s, including he desi ed le el o con idence, he accep able
ma gin o e o , and he a iabili y wi hin he popula ion. The ca e ul conside a ion o
hese pa ame e s ensu es ha he sample size is no only adequa e bu also s a is ically
Fig. 1 Fi ms’ dis ibu ion in he ques ionnai e su ey
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
signi ican . Fu he mo e, i ’s essen ial o no e ha de e mining he app op ia e sample
size is a c i ical s ep in ensu ing he s udy’s esul s can be gene alized o he b oade
popula ion. In his con ex , a la ge sample size can enhance he s udy’s ex e nal alidi y,
allowing o a mo e con iden ex apola ion o indings beyond he su eyed g oup o
pa icipan s. Con e sely, an excessi ely small sample size may lead o esul s ha a e less
eliable and less applicable o he popula ion as a whole.
The acknowledgmen o he ma gin o e o , o con idence in e al, is o pa amoun
impo ance as a me ic ha quan i ies he po en ial di e gence o da a om he popula-
ion mean. This c i ical alue se es as an indica o o he su ey esul ’s p oximi y o
he ue popula ion alue, ins illing con idence in he eliabili y o he indings. Concu -
en ly, he s anda d de ia ion plays an equally pi o al ole in assessing he ex en o da a
dispe sion om he mean, p o iding a measu e o absolu e a iabili y wi hin he dis-
ibu ion. As he da a’s sp ead o a iabili y inc eases, bo h he s anda d de ia ion and
he magni ude o he de ia ion co espondingly expand, unde sco ing he le el o da a
he e ogenei y.
On a simila no e, he Z-sco e assumes i s ole as a c ucial s a is ical measu e, gauging
he p oximi y o a speci ic alue o he mean o a se o alues. Calcula ed by de e min-
ing he numbe o s anda d de ia ions om he mean, he Z-sco e u nishes an objec-
i e assessmen o how each da a poin de ia es om he cen al endency. When he
Z-sco e amoun s o ze o, i signi ies ha he da a poin ’s sco e is p ecisely iden ical o
he mean sco e, sugges ing a comple e absence o de ia ion. In essence, he Z-sco e illu-
mina es he ela i e posi ion o a da a poin wi hin he dis ibu ion, acili a ing he iden-
i ica ion o ou lie s and aiding in he in e p e a ion o da a signi icance.
Resul s
Consume s’ a i udes owa ds heapplicabili y o UV i adia ion on hep ese a ion
o  ui s and ege ables
Responden s cha ac e is ics
In his comp ehensi e s udy encompassing a o al o 584 pa icipan s, gende dis ibu-
ion e ealed ha 65.4% (n = 382) we e iden i ied as emale, while 34.6% (n = 202) we e
iden i ied as male. The a e age age o he esponden s s ood a 25.2 ± 8.5yea s, indica-
i e o he sample’s age p o ile and a iabili y. Focusing on age ca ego ies, he coho
be ween 21 and 30yea s ep esen ed he la ges and mos p ominen g oup, comp ising
55.8% (n = 326) o he o al pa icipan s. This no able majo i y was deemed s a is ically
signi ican (P < 0.05) when compa ed o o he age g oups, unde sco ing he signi i-
cance o his age b acke in he s udy’s demog aphic composi ion. Educa ionwise, he
pa icipan s exhibi ed a no able le el o a ainmen , wi h app oxima ely 70% possessing
ei he a uni e si y deg ee (n = 208; 35.6%) o seconda y/p o essional educa ion (n = 215;
36.8%). This e lec s a conside able le el o educa ional achie emen wi hin he sam-
ple, p o iding aluable insigh s in o he pa icipan s’ academic backg ounds. Residence
dis ibu ion demons a ed ha he majo i y o esponden s inhabi ed u ban cen e s
wi h a popula ion exceeding 100,000 inhabi an s, accoun ing o 75.7% (n = 342) o he
(2)
Sample size
=
(z−sco e)
2
×S dDe ×(1−S dDe
)
(
ma gin o e o
)2
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
Fig. 5 Sco e o social ac o s a ec ing inno a ion in he ui s and ege ables p ese a ion sec o (a) small
scale (b) medium scale (c) la ge scale

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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
o he pandemic on i ms’ p ocli i y o emb acing inno a ion in he ui s and ege a-
bles p ese a ion sec o . Such insigh ul indings shed ligh on he in ica e dynamics o
inno a ion managemen wi hin he indus y du ing he challenging COVID-19 pe iod,
o e ing aluable pe spec i es on how a ious en e p ises na iga ed he unp eceden ed
ci cums ances and app oached inno a ion in esponse o he pandemic’s dis up ions.
In addi ion o in es iga ing he in luence o he COVID-19 pandemic on a ious
inno a ion- ela ed pa ame e s, he esea ch also del ed in o he inancial aspec s o
en e p ises, pa icula ly in ela ion o hei in es men ac i i ies. Figu e7, a pi o al com-
ponen o ou s udy, p esen s he su ey esul s pe aining o he impac o COVID-19
on in es men le els. As obse ed, a no able dis inc ion eme ged in in es men ends
be ween la ge co po a ions and small businesses. Du ing he COVID-19 pe iod, a sub-
s an ial 74% o esponden s om la ge en e p ises indica ed ema kably low in es men
le els. This dec ease in in es men among la ge co po a ions can be a ibu ed o se e al
ac o s, including economic unce ain ies, dis up ed supply chains, and he need o con-
se e esou ces amids he pandemic’s unce ain ies. In con as , only 21% o medium-
sized businesses and a me e 5% o la ge-scale o ganiza ions epo ed expe iencing a
Fig. 6 Impac on mo i a ion o inno a ion
Fig. 7 Impac on in es men le el as in luenced by unding
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
simila decline in in es men . The ela i ely esilien in es men beha io o medium-
sized i ms could be a ibu ed o hei adap abili y and abili y o pi o in esponse o
ma ke changes. In e es ingly, he indings e ealed ha 42% o esponden s om small-
scale i ms epo ed a no ewo hy inc ease in hei in es men le els du ing he same
pe iod. This su ge in in es men among small businesses may be indica i e o hei agil-
i y and capaci y o iden i y oppo uni ies e en du ing challenging imes. These esea ch
indings illumina e he signi ican dispa i ies in in es men beha io among en e p ises
o di e en sizes in he con ex o he COVID-19 pandemic. The da a sheds ligh on he
a ying esponses o businesses in na iga ing he inancial challenges b ough o h by
he pandemic, p o iding aluable insigh s in o he dynamics o in es men decisions and
hei implica ions ac oss di e se business scales. Fu he mo e, hese indings unde sco e
he impo ance o agili y and adap abili y o businesses, as hey ace and espond o
unp eceden ed dis up ions, and highligh he need o ailo ed s a egies ha align wi h
an o ganiza ion’s size and esilience.
Figu e8 p esen s a comp ehensi e and all-encompassing o e iew o he esea ch
ou comes, elucida ing he a - eaching impac o he COVID-19 pandemic on a ious
inno a ion- ela ed pa ame e s, i espec i e o he i m’s size. No ably, he COVID-
19 si ua ion has exe ed a p o ound in luence on se e al c i ical ace s, encompassing
unding alloca ion, ma ke a ailabili y, goods anspo a ion, and o e all p o i abili y in
ecen imes. O pa icula impo ance is he s udy’s comp ehensi e de ini ion o "goods
anspo a ion," which encompasses he in ica e p ocesses in ol ed in he mo emen o
ca go o goods u ilizing di e se anspo a ion modes, such as ucks, ca s, ains, ships,
and ai planes. The pandemic’s mul i ace ed epe cussions on hese pi o al aspec s o
inno a ion managemen unde sco e he p essing need o a mo e holis ic and sys ema ic
app oach o comp ehending and add essing he complex challenges ha ha e su aced
in he ui s and ege ables p ese a ion indus y du ing his unp eceden ed pe iod.
Deepe explo a ion and ho ough examina ion o hese esea ch indings ca y he
po en ial o o e aluable insigh s and pe spec i es ha can be ha nessed in o mula ing
s a egies and policies aimed a bols e ing esilience and sus ainabili y wi hin he sec-
o amids he p e ailing global unce ain ies. As he ui s and ege ables p ese a ion
Fig. 8 Impac o he pandemic on di e se ace s o inno a ion
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
indus y na iga es h ough hese u bulen imes, a well-in o med unde s anding o he
pandemic’s impac s on inno a ion- ela ed pa ame e s will undoub edly play a pi o al
ole in cha ing a pa h owa ds eco e y, g ow h, and enhanced adap abili y.
Implica ions o  he indings onsus ainable p oduc ion andconsump ion
Rega ding he p oblems wi h he en i onmen on a wo ldwide scale, sus ainable p oduc-
ion and consump ion a e essen ial. The di ec and indi ec e ec s o ou disco e ies
on sus ainable p oduc ion and consump ion, pa icula ly in ela ion o ad ancemen s in
ood p ese a ion, a e co e ed in his pa ag aph.
Di ec implica ions
Ou s udy shows ha consume pe cep ions abou UV-i adia ed ood ha e a big impac
on wha hey buy. Cus ome s a e mo e inclined o selec hese p oduc s when hey a e
awa e o he ad an ages o UV i adia ion, such as he p olonged shel li e and less ood
was e. By dec easing ood de e io a ion and lowe ing he ca bon oo p in associa ed
wi h ood p oduc ion and deli e y, his shi owa ds UV-i adia ed oods can di ec ly
con ibu e o sus ainable consump ion. In addi ion, UV i adia ion can ake he place o
con en ional chemical p ese a i es, suppo ing sus ainable and heal hy ood p oduc-
ion ideals.
Indi ec implica ions
Ou indings ha e wide , indi ec consequences o sus ainable a ming and ag icul u e
in addi ion o he immedia e consume decisions. Food p oduce s may be encou aged
o use cu ing-edge, esou ce-sa ing p ese a ion echniques by he ising demand o
UV-i adia ed i ems. In u n, his may encou age he ood business o adop sus ainable
manu ac u ing me hods. Longe shel li es educe ood was e, which educes he use o
esou ces such as wa e , ene gy, and ag icul u al inpu s in he manu ac u e o ood ha
will no be ea en. As a esul , his p omo es ag icul u e’s p ima y objec i e o esou ce
conse a ion.
Resou ce conse a ion
F ui and ege able pos -ha es losses could be conside ably educed by ad ances in
ood p ese a ion, including UV i adia ion. The equi emen o excessi e ag icul u al
inpu s such as wa e , e ilize , and pes icides is educed due o c op conse a ion. In
addi ion, i eases he s ain on ag icul u al land use, assis ing in he p ese a ion o bio-
di e si y and na u al habi a s. UV i adia ion aligns wi h sus ainable p oduc ion p ac-
ises, whe e esou ce conse a ion is a key concep , by educing esou ce-in ensi e
p ac ices and imp o ing esou ce u iliza ion.
P omo ing sus ainable ag icul u e
Sus ainable ag icul u e a emp s o minimise ha m ul en i onmen al e ec s while p o-
iding o he ising global ood demand. By inc easing he eshness o ui s and ege-
ables, UV i adia ion aids in he c ea ion o mo e esilien ag icul u al sys ems. To mee
he demand o p emium, UV-i adia ed ood, a me s may be encou aged o emb ace
en i onmen ally iendly p ac ises, including educed pes icide use and o ganic a ming.
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
In addi ion, UV i adia ion can make i possible o use ex a o "impe ec " p oduc s ha
would o he wise go o was e, aiding small-scale a me s and boos ing sus ainable ag i-
cul u e by lowe ing ood loss.
Economic andsocial sus ainabili y
The use o UV i adia ion o ood p ese a ion may ha e e ec s on he economy and
socie y’s abili y o sus ain i sel . Small-scale a me s may be gi en he chance o ake
pa in supply chains ha pu an emphasis on sus ainable p ac ises. In addi ion, UV-
i adia ed ood can suppo be e nu i ion and ood secu i y by lowe ing ood was e
and boos ing ood sa e y, which is in line wi h he Sus ainable De elopmen Goals o he
Uni ed Na ions.
En i onmen al oo p in educ ion
Because UV i adia ion can subs i u e chemical p ese a i es, i can lessen he en i on-
men al impac o making and disposing o hese chemicals. In addi ion, he dec ease in
ood was e b ough on by oods ha ha e unde gone UV adia ion can lessen he en i-
onmen al impac o land ills, whe e disca ded ood equen ly p oduces me hane, a
po en g eenhouse gas. This is in line wi h ini ia i es o lessen global en i onmen al deg-
ada ion and comba clima e change.
Consume awa eness andeduca ion
The e is a signi ican need o public knowledge and educa ion abou he ad an ages o
UV-i adia ed oods o ully unde s and hese indi ec consequences. Consume educa-
ion abou UV adia ion’s bene i s o he en i onmen and esou ce conse a ion can
inc ease demand o hese goods and encou age companies o use sus ainable ag icul-
u e and p oduc ion me hods.
Policy andindus y collabo a ion
Th ough suppo i e policies and pa ne ships, go e nmen s and indus y s akeholde s
may play a c i ical ole in ad ancing sus ainable p oduc ion and consump ion. Policies
ha p omo e he use o UV i adia ion and o he en i onmen ally iendly ood p ese -
a ion echniques can suppo sus ainable ag icul u e and esou ce p ese a ion. Col-
labo a ion be ween indus y, academia, and go e nmen o ganisa ions can also p omo e
ad ancemen s in ood p ese a ion echnology and hei inco po a ion in o en i on-
men ally iendly p oduc ion me hods. In conclusion, ou s udy emphasises he sig-
ni ican e ec s consume pe cep ions o UV-i adia ed oods ha e on sus ainable ood
p oduc ion and consump ion. Inno a ions in ood p ese a ion, such as UV i adia ion,
ha e he po en ial o be a ca alys o imp o emen in he ques o sus ainabili y in he
ood business by educing ood was e, p ese ing esou ces, suppo ing sus ainable ag i-
cul u e, and minimizing en i onmen al oo p in s. All s akeholde s, om consume s
and p oduce s o poli icians and esea che s, mus wo k oge he o build a mo e sus-
ainable and esilien ood sys em o ealize hese bene i s.
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
Discussion
In he ealm o ood p ese a ion, he signi icance o employing a ious echniques can-
no be o e s a ed. These me hods play a i al ole in ex ending he a ailabili y o seasonal
p oduce, cu bing ood was e, ensu ing ood secu i y, and enabling e icien anspo -
a ion o pe ishable goods ac oss long dis ances. Mo eo e , hey o e consume s he
oppo uni y o sa o a di e se a ay o ood h oughou he yea while main aining
nu i ional alue and upholding sa e y s anda ds. The e ec i eness o ui and ege able
p ese a ion in p olonging shel li e and e aining nu i ional con en hinges upon he
speci ic p ese a ion me hod employed. Ne e heless, consume pe cep ion plays a c u-
cial ole in de e mining he accep abili y o hese me hods. The s udy’s indings e ealed
ha a subs an ial majo i y o male esponden s, app oxima ely 93.6%, exp essed a p e e -
ence o equen ly pu chasing p ese ed ui s and ege ables. Con e sely, a mino pe -
cen age, a ound 6.4%, indica ed ha hey do no p ocu e p ese ed ood i ems. Among
emale esponden s, app oxima ely 84.6% epo ed a p ima y p e e ence o pu chasing
p ese ed ui s and ege ables, while app oxima ely 15.3% displayed minimal in e es in
hese p oduc s. T adi ionally, ui s and ege ables ha e been p ese ed h ough me h-
ods, such as canning, eezing, and d ying. Howe e , wi h hei abili y o cu b mic o-
bial g ow h and delay spoilage, mode n echnologies such as ul a iole i adia ion and
modi ied en i onmen packaging ha e gained p ominence. In addi ion, he e is a ising
demand o na u al and en i onmen ally iendly p ese a ion echniques, aligning wi h
consume s’ desi es o sus ainable and heal hie ood op ions. The p ac ice o canning
ui s and ege ables ensu es he yea - ound a ailabili y o a di e se and nu ien - ich
die , con ibu ing o enhanced ood secu i y and educed was e. In an e a, whe e ood
sus ainabili y and heal h-consciousness ake cen e s age, he adop ion o p ese a ion
me hods becomes pa amoun o mee ing he needs and p e e ences o disce ning con-
sume s. Fu he mo e, i is impe a i e o unde sco e he ans o ma i e ends in ood
pu chasing and consump ion, whe ein consume s a e inc easingly p io i izing con eni-
ence and he impac o ood p oduc ion and p ocessing on heal h and he en i onmen .
Fo he ood indus y, pa icula ly in ela ion o highly pe ishable i ems, such as ui ,
his poses a conside able challenge (Janssen e al., 2021). In esponse, he indus y has
unde aken signi ican endea o s o mi iga e pos -ha es losses by emb acing na u al
p ese a i es as iable al e na i es o con en ional chemical ungicides. The adop ion
o such al e na i es has gained momen um due o moun ing public and go e nmen al
opposi ion owa ds chemical ea men s (Aday & Aday, 2020).
Examining he p e e ences ac oss di e en age g oups, indi iduals aged be ween 29
and 39yea s demons a ed a ema kable inclina ion owa ds p ese ed ui s and eg-
e ables. App oxima ely 87.2% o esponden s wi hin his age b acke indica ed equen
pu chases o p ese ed p oduce, ega dless o he p ese a ion me hod u ilized. Fu he -
mo e, when conside ing educa ional a ainmen , hose wi h a "highe lea ning educa-
ion le el" exhibi ed a heigh ened in e es in p ese ed ui s and ege ables compa ed
o indi iduals wi h seconda y o p ima y educa ion. The esul s also sugges a posi i e
co ela ion be ween highe educa ion and an inc eased com o le el wi h consuming
p ese ed ui s and ege ables. This shi in pe cep ion can be a ibu ed o heigh -
ened awa eness and a dec ease in misconcep ions su ounding hese p oduc s. In ligh
o hese indings, i is c ucial o acknowledge ha consume pe cep ions ega ding

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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
p ese ed ui s and ege ables wield subs an ial in luence o e ma ke dynamics,
heal h choices, sus ainabili y ini ia i es, and economic conside a ions. These a i udes
hold immense impo ance o bo h consume s and indus y s akeholde s, as hey play
a pi o al ole in shaping a ious aspec s o he indus y (Rahman e al., 2021). By com-
p ehending and esponding o hese pe cep ions, he ood indus y can be e ca e o
he e ol ing demands o disce ning consume s and align i s p ac ices wi h he b oade
goals o heal h, sus ainabili y, and economic iabili y. When con empla ing he ac o s
in luencing he pe cei ed limi ed sui abili y o UV i adia ion o ui and ege able
p ese a ion, cos , sa e y, and lack o knowledge eme ged as he o emos con ibu o s,
ga ne ing he highes a e age sco es among he esponden s. In his phase o he s udy,
pa icipan s we e eques ed o assign a ings on a scale o 1 o 5 o each ac o , whe e 1
deno ed he leas in luence, and 5 indica ed he highes impac .
In hei comp ehensi e in es iga ion, (Da é e  al., 2022) obse ed ha ul a io-
le (UV) adia ion had long been pe cei ed as a ha m ul agen o be a oided by li ing
o ganisms. Howe e , ecen esea ch has un eiled a ans o ma i e e ela ion, demon-
s a ing ha UV adia ion can bes ow bene icial e ec s on plan physiology by ins iga -
ing he syn hesis o seconda y an ioxidan me aboli es and na u al de ense mechanisms.
This no el unde s anding has en i ely shi ed he pe cep ion o UV adia ion om being
solely deemed a ge micide and po en ially haza dous agen o an in aluable ool ha
can be ha nessed o i s a o able esponses when applied o ha es ed ag icul u al
p oduc s.
The applica ion o UV ea men s in pos ha es scena ios has been an a ea o in ense
esea ch and expe imen a ion o o e ou decades, leading o ema kable successes
ac oss a ious domains. These applica ions encompass se e al c i ical aspec s, includ-
ing he ca e ul selec ion o p emium-g ade aw ma e ials, he e ec i e con ol o pos -
ha es diseases and pa hogens, he p omo ion o nu aceu ical compound p oduc ion,
he modula ion o ipening and senescence p ocesses, and he enhancemen o ole ance
o en i onmen al s esses. UV adia ion, aside om i s well-documen ed an imic obial
p ope ies, possesses a uly ascina ing capabili y—i can igge he syn hesis o bio-
ac i e compounds in plan s as a de ense mechanism. One o he mos s iking aspec s
o UV adia ion is i s ole in s imula ing he p oduc ion o hese bioac i e compounds.
This is pa icula ly signi ican , because hese compounds o en con ibu e o he nu i-
ional and heal h-p omo ing aspec s o ui s and ege ables. No ably, UV ea men s
ha e been shown o induce he accumula ion o c ucial phy ochemicals, which include
bu a e no limi ed o asco bic acid (Vi amin C), ca o enoids (e.g., be a-ca o ene), glu-
cosinola es (known o hei an icance p ope ies), and no ably, phenolic compounds.
These phenolic compounds, which include a ious subclasses, such as la onoids and
phenolic acids, a e o pa amoun impo ance. They a e ecognized o hei po en an i-
oxidan p ope ies and hei po en ial o comba oxida i e s ess in he human body.
Mo eo e , hey a e closely associa ed wi h nume ous heal h bene i s, including an i-
in lamma o y, an i-cance , and ca dio ascula -p o ec i e e ec s. The e o e, he abili y o
UV ea men s o enhance he p esence o phenolic compounds in ui s and ege ables
is o immense signi icance, as i con ibu es o he o e all nu i ional alue and heal h
bene i s o hese p oduce. In essence, he pos ha es applica ion o UV ea men s ep-
esen s a mul i ace ed app oach wi h a p o ound impac . I no only se es o p o ec
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
and ex end he shel li e o ui s and ege ables by con olling diseases and pa hogens
bu also enhances hei nu i ional con en and heal h-p omo ing a ibu es. This dual
unc ionali y posi ions UV ea men s as a aluable ool in he ealm o pos ha es
p ese a ion and unde sco es hei po en ial in con ibu ing o heal hie and mo e sus-
ainable ood p ac ices.
Mo eo e , he s udy’s indings illumina e he a ying impac s o go e nance quali y on
o ganiza ions o di e en scales. Medium-sized o ganiza ions appea o be mo e signi i-
can ly in luenced by go e nance quali y, while small-scale businesses exhibi a g ea e
p opensi y o explo e c ea i e app oaches. Con e sely, la ge-scale i ms demons a e a
s onge suscep ibili y o ac o s, such as he a ailabili y o local expe ise, go e nance
quali y, and he willingness o expe imen wi h no el ideas. I is c ucial o acknowledge
ha business ac i i ies can be bo h di ec ly and indi ec ly shaped by socie al and en i-
onmen al ac o s. The ecep ion o inno a ions by he public and he implemen a ion
o co po a e social esponsibili y p og ams a e in luenced by socie al conside a ions
(Aghmiuni e al., 2020; Pe idis e al., 2020). No ably, ans o ma i e shi s in socie y can
ca alyze sys em-wide inno a ions, such as he ansi ion owa ds a low-ca bon economy.
Fu he mo e, he en i onmen al impac plays a signi ican ole in d i ing company inno-
a ion, wi h businesses s i ing o minimize ad e se consequences h ough en i on-
men ally conscious in en ions (B asliņa e al., 2021). Simila ly, businesses may engage in
inno a i e p ac ices in esponse o an icipa ed changes in he na u al en i onmen , such
as clima e change adap a ion.
Go e nmen p og ams aimed a suppo ing businesses in ol e esou ce ans e s,
ei he di ec ly as inancial aid o in-kind dona ions. These assis ance measu es can be
p o ided by go e nmen agencies hemsel es o indi ec ly h ough consume subsidies
o speci ic goods (Najib e al., 2021). Companies can de i e bene i s om go e nmen
unding a ge ing hei ope a ions, such as in es men s in esea ch and de elopmen o
he acquisi ion o new equipmen , as well as he ou comes o hese endea o s, leading
o e enue s eams esul ing om pas inno a ion e o s (Teng e al., 2020). Go e n-
men inancing o en ocuses on ac i i ies and ou comes ela ed o inno a ion. Gi en
he na ional and in e na ional egula ions go e ning he condi ions o p o iding assis-
ance o businesses, he e exis s a speci ic demand o e idence ega ding he scope and
impac o a ious o ms and le els o go e nmen suppo o inno a ion (OECD/Eu o-
s a , 2019). The esea ch indings shed ligh on he di e en ial impac o he COVID-19
dis up ion on he inno a ion needs o ui and ege able businesses, wi h la ge-scale
en e p ises expe iencing mo e p onounced e ec s compa ed o hei smalle coun e -
pa s. No ably, despi e he widesp ead epe cussions o he pandemic, mos small indus-
ial businesses exhibi ed esilience, as e idenced by hei ela i ely s able e enue and
minimal al e a ions in business p ac ices, use o open inno a ion ools, and inno a ion
p omo ion, as me iculously explo ed by Ha el (Ha el, 2021) in he con ex o small busi-
nesses’ pe o mance and inno a ion amids he COVID-19 e a.
Mo eo e , he s udy’s indings unde sco e a signi ican di e gence in in es men s a -
egies ela ed o inno a ions in ui and ege able p ese a ion be ween la ge-scale
en e p ises and hei smalle coun e pa s. This di e gence highligh s he o e a ching
mo i a ion o ui and ege able businesses o emba k on mo e inno a i e en u es
du ing he COVID-19 pandemic. This obse a ion aligns wi h he disco e ies o Jin
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
e al. (Jin e al., 2022), who disce ned a mo e p onounced ad e se e ec o COVID-19
on inno a ion wi hin la ge o ganiza ions when compa ed o small and medium-sized
en e p ises. Fu he mo e, a he co po a e le el, s a e-owned en e p ises demons a e
heigh ened ulne abili y o he ad e se e ec s o he pandemic in con as o non-s a e-
owned businesses. These indings collec i ely emphasize he in ica e and mul i ace ed
dynamics ha un olded du ing he pandemic, in luencing inno a ion endea o s ac oss
di e se scales and owne ship s uc u es wi hin he ui and ege able indus y. The
COVID-19 pandemic exe ed a p o ound in luence on speci ic indus ies, wi h no able
epe cussions obse ed in he ealms o ai a el and long-dis ance ail a el, as e i-
denced by subs an ial declines in passenge numbe s and ope a ional dis up ions (Suau-
Sanchez e al., 2020). A comp ehensi e s udy conduc ed by Sun e al. (Sun e al., 2020)
me iculously analyzed shi s in in e na ional passenge ligh s om Decembe 16, 2019,
o May 15, 2020, le e aging Fligh ada 24 da a, which encompassed 150 ai lines and
2,751 ai po s wo ldwide. Thei esea ch b ough o ligh a d as ic educ ion o app oxi-
ma ely 75% in he numbe o se ed o igin–des ina ion ai po pai s, commencing
om mid-Ma ch 2020. This decline was accompanied by a signi ican dec ease o abou
wo- hi ds in he coun o ope a ional ai c a . Simila ly, he long-dis ance ail a el
indus y, especially in Asia and Eu ope, g appled wi h se e e epe cussions due o he
COVID-19 pandemic (Ro henga e e al., 2021). Majo ail ope a o s in Eu ope, such as
Deu sche Bahn (Ge many) and SNCF (F ance), epo ed subs an ial losses in passenge
numbe s and encoun e ed signi ican inancial impac s on hei ail lines du ing he i s
hal o 2020 (Mack e al., 2021). These ins ances unde sco e he a - eaching e ec s o
he pandemic on a ious sec o s, including anspo a ion, which unde wen subs an ial
ans o ma ions and dis up ions du ing his challenging pe iod.
In e es ingly, he pandemic spu ed di e gen ends in a ious modes o anspo a-
ion, pa icula ly in he case o oad anspo a ion, which displayed di e en dynam-
ics. In addi ion, wa e anspo a ion also encoun e ed conside able challenges. Xu
e al. (Xu e al., 2021) conduc ed a s udy analyzing panel da a om 14 majo Chinese
po s be ween Janua y and Oc obe 2020. They ound ha widesp ead ac o y closu es,
coupled wi h he se e i y o he pandemic measu ed by he o al numbe o con i med
COVID-19 cases, signi ican ly and ad e sely a ec ed bo h impo and expo ca go
h oughpu s. The pandemic’s a - eaching impac s on anspo a ion indus ies unde -
sco e he in ica e in e play o global a el and ade du ing hese unp eceden ed imes.
As pe he indings o he esea ch conduc ed by (Sady o a e al., 2021), he p esence o
low inno a ion ac i i y indica o s wi hin he economy can be a ibu ed o a con luence
o key ac o s. Among hese ac o s, he inadequacy o knowledge and echnology ans-
e sys ems s ands p ominen , hinde ing he smoo h dissemina ion and applica ion o
cu ing-edge ideas. In addi ion, he limi ed comme cializa ion o he esea ch and de el-
opmen sec o u he compounds he challenges, hampe ing he ans o ma ion o
inno a i e concep s in o angible ma ke solu ions. Fu he mo e, he absence o obus
inancial and ins i u ional sys ems dedica ed o os e ing inno a ion and echnological
ad ancemen se es o exace ba e he si ua ion, cons aining he esou ces and suppo
a ailable o p og essi e endea o s.
The unde de eloped sys em o knowledge and echnology ans e , combined wi h
a weak domes ic demand o no el echnological de elopmen s, plays a pi o al ole in
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Kydy beko ae al. Jou nal o Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship (2024) 13:19
con ibu ing o he o e all decline in echnological compe i i eness. This de iciency
in d i ing and adop ing inno a ions no only impac s he business landscape bu also
cas s implica ions on he s a e’s compe i i e edge in he global a ena. Add essing
hese mul i ace ed challenges becomes impe a i e o nu u ing a h i ing en i on-
men o inno a ion, which is ins umen al in p opelling economic g ow h and bol-
s e ing he na ion’s s anding in he e e -e ol ing echnological landscape.
Conclusion
This s udy emba ked on a comp ehensi e inqui y in o he pe cep ions su ounding
he u iliza ion o UV i adia ion as a p ese a ion me hod o ui s and ege ables,
wi h an addi ional explo a ion in o he po en ial impac o he pandemic on inno a-
ions in his speci ic domain. The pa icipan s illumina ed cos , sa e y conce ns, and
limi ed unde s anding as pi o al ac o s shaping hei iews on UV i adia ion o
p ese ing ui s and ege ables. Fu he mo e, he esea ch del ed in o he impac
o he pandemic dis up ion on inno a ion ac i i ies wi hin he ui and ege able
p ese a ion sec o . In iguingly, he esul s un eiled hose la ge-scale businesses
exhibi ed a mo e p onounced need o inno a ions and in es men in his domain
compa ed o hei small-scale coun e pa s. In addi ion, he s udy b ough o ligh a
no able obse a ion ega ding he limi ed p ac ical conside a ions e iden in exis -
ing esea ch. Many s udies p ima ily ocused on small-scale labo a o y es s, o en
inco po a ing cos ly componen s and un ealis ic wo king condi ions. To os e p ac-
ical and economical ad ancemen s in he ield, he s udy placed emphasis on pilo -
scale esea ch employing eadily a ailable and cos -e ec i e ma e ials, acili a ing a
mo e p agma ic cos –bene i analysis o p oposed p ese a ion echnologies. Con-
side ing he a ay o sugges ed echniques, he s udy unde sco ed he p e e ence
o combina ion me hods o enhance ui and ege able p ese a ion pe o mance.
An in eg a ed app oach o echnology de elopmen was deemed c ucial o achie e
cos -e ec i e p ese a ion solu ions. Achie ing cos -e ec i e p ese a ion solu ions
demands a holis ic app oach o echnology ad ancemen . Wi hin his amewo k, he
ho ough unde s anding and assessmen o ui s and ege ables become pa amoun .
The e ec i eness o p ese a ion me hods is deeply in e wined wi h he physical
and chemical a ibu es o hese p oduc s and hei in ended use. Un o una ely, he
in es iga ion has highligh ed a signi ican o e sigh in hese c i ical domains, unde -
sco ing he need o con inued e o s o es ablish widely accep ed e alua ion sys ems
o cha ac e iza ion and quali y app aisal. These endea o s play a i al ole in guiding
he choice o he mos sui able p ese a ion me hods o ui s and ege ables, ul i-
ma ely aising he ba o p ese a ion s anda ds. The su ey indings unde sco e he
mul i ude o ac o s con ibu ing o he popula i y o p ese ed ui s and ege ables.
Key conside a ions such as he elimina ion o pa hogenic mic oo ganisms, p o ec ion
agains mic obial g ow h, and p e en ion o physical al e a ions esona e as i al ac-
o s, e lec ing he pa amoun impo ance consume s place on ood sa e y and qual-
i y. Simul aneously, habi s and ou ines play a ole in in luencing consume beha io ,
signi ying ha longs anding amilia i y and ease o use p o oundly impac pu chase
decisions. As we del e deepe in o un a eling consume p e e ences and in eg a e