Drivers and Barriers of National Innovation Ecosystems for Implementing Sustainable Development Goals: A Latvian Case Study

Abstract

Research examining the drivers and barriers of implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs) in national innovation ecosystems (NIEs) is scarce. This study proposes a framework of drivers and barriers to NIEs for SDGs implementation used in the Latvian context. An exploratory qualitative approach based on the Latvian case study is used to generate in-depth information on the drivers and barriers of NIEs for implementing SDGs. Our results show that at the NIE level, drivers for actors and institutions, such as legislative compliance, eco-innovations, cross-sector cooperation, and talent pools, are hindered by some barriers, such as lack of networking skills, institutional voids, totalitarian power, and academic rigidity. Despite attempts at technological convergence that facilitated distance learning, remote work, and telehealth solutions during the pandemic, the lack of collaborative platforms hinders the development of artifacts. Sustainable innovation is hindered by a lack of resources and openness that also blocks open innovation. Beyond coevolution and co-specialization initiatives, friction between the public and private sectors hinders complementary and substitute relations. Our results provide a systemic and holistic NIE tool to analyze the drivers and barriers of the SDGs.