Civil society is crucial for societal transformation, but how its engagement can scale up and become institutionally embedded at the regional level remains widely unclear. We enhance the knowledge in this area by linking civic engagement with transformative social innovation (TSI) research. Our aim is to understand how cognitive, social, institutional, organizational and geographical proximity factors strengthen and hinder civic-led TSI initiatives by applying the proximity approach. The object of this case study was the ‘Mitmach-Region Saale-Holzland-Kreis’, an initiative which aims to establish mutual cooperation at a regional level based on solidarity and ‘commoning’. We found that engagement was based primarily on cognitive proximity, whereas organizational distance was the biggest hurdle, also suppressing positive effects from cognitive proximity. We also, most importantly, discovered that contributing to societal transformation played a role in a participant’s engagement, but was particularly suppressed by missing institutional proximity through disapproval from society or the immediate environment. Altogether, strengthening the proximities to promote engagement in civic-led TSI initiatives holds great potential for contributing to societal transformation.

The increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data (BD) in the tourism industry has raised growing concerns about data privacy and security. Tourism organizations are increasingly using these technologies to better understand tourists, personalize experiences, and support business decision-making. However, this trend also creates significant ethical and legal challenges related to the collection, storage, and processing of personal data. In this context, two key aspects become especially important: education and transparency. Tourists should be informed not only about the benefits of AI and BD, but also about the potential risks associated with their use. Likewise, tourism organizations must be transparent regarding how tourist data are collected and used, while also offering users greater control over their privacy. To address these issues, this study conducts a systematic literature review to examine the current state of research on data security and privacy in tourism within the context of AI and BD implementation. Relevant studies will be identified through searches in Web of Science and Scopus using predefined keyword combinations and inclusion criteria. The findings will provide valuable implications for both academic research and tourism management practice..

Demand-side innovation policies are increasingly encouraged as complements to R&D subsidies, yet firm-level evidence on how such instruments translate into firms’ both internal upgrading and commercialization activities – especially across heterogeneous European innovation systems – remains limited. This study helps to address this gap by examining the effects of public procurement for innovation (PPI) and government-facilitated export support on firms’ process innovation and innovative sales, comparing European innovation leaders and strong innovators with moderate and emerging innovators. By employing Flash Eurobarometer data from 1,911 firms in 29 European countries, along with treatment effect analysis, we demonstrate that PPI is positively and significantly associated with both process innovation and innovative sales in both analysed groups. Such findings indicate its dual link to upgrading and commercialization. By contrast, we show that government-facilitated export support is only positively associated with innovative sales. This study advances the analysis of the impact of demand-side policy instruments on firms’ innovation-related outcomes, thereby contributing to the current state of the art. The final part of this study offers tailored policy implications for different country groups.

This paper examines how transnational reference groups shape subjective welfare among Central Asian migrants in Russia. We define subjective welfare as an individual's self-assessed position within the local income distribution, a measure of perceived material standing relative to others, distinct from broader subjective well-being, which encompasses life satisfaction and affective components such as happiness. Migrants maintain dual connections to both their origin country and host society, comparing their incomes with reference groups in each context; we expect the weight of these comparisons to shift with time spent abroad. Using panel data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS), which captures predominantly long-term migrants from former Soviet Central Asian republics, we estimate fixed-effects models to test these dynamics. Our findings show that, as migrants spend more time in Russia, the influence of origin-country reference income on subjective welfare diminishes while that of host-country reference income strengthens. After approximately two decades, migrants come to resemble native Russians in how reference income shapes their subjective welfare. These results highlight shifting reference groups as an important and understudied dimension of migrant integration.

The sustainable transition in transport is a key area of action in the fight against climate change. Although there is a great deal of knowledge about the socio-technical transition (STT) in urban transport, less is known about these processes in urban peripheries. This paper provides new knowledge about the transition dynamics in suburban transport regimes. It applies the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) approach, a mixed-methods research design and an interpretive analysis of qualitative interviews with suburban residents and decision-makers. The empirical case is a suburban town in the Berlin metropolitan region, which is contrasted with an urban district in Berlin. The paper reveals that the shift towards low-carbon modes of transport is much less advanced in the suburban area. Despite the availability of alternatives, cars with combustion engines remain dominant in suburban transport. In addition to infrastructural and socio-structural factors, a distinct suburban state of mind, characterized by values such as independence and privacy, poses an obstacle to stronger transition. The paper suggests that transition processes in transport vary systematically between different types of area. It advocates greater spatial sensitivity in MLP and proposes ways to achieve this analytically.

Digitalisation is often seen as a ‘panacea for all ills’ and a key enabler of sustainable regional development. However, history shows that digitalisation often falters due to inadequate governance and implementation. The complexity of contemporary society presents multi-layered challenges, especially given the high expectations surrounding Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies such as Big Data and Internet of Things. Success requires careful contextualisation of objectives, technologies, and their intended roles. At the regional level, a gap persists between theory, ambitions and the practical realisation of digitalisation – an issue this paper addresses. We explore how Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles can support sustainable regional digitalisation planning. Specifically, we demonstrate how embedding the Systems Design Approach + (SDA+), grounded in the Technology Organisation Environment framework, within the reflection process of RRI facilitates a deeper and more granular reflection. Drawing on empirical insights from the EU-funded DigiTeRRI project involving three European regions, we illustrate how the SDA+-enhanced reflection process improved regional digitalisation strategies and discuss its broader potential for addressing other ‘wicked issues’.

The adoption of open innovation has consistently faced numerous obstacles, the nature of which varies according to contextual factors, including national cultural differences. While national culture is undeniably a significant and influential underlying factor, its role in shaping open innovation barriers has received limited attention in the existing literature. To address this research gap, this study employs a two-phase methodological framework. The first phase involves a comprehensive review and content analysis of prior studies on open innovation barriers in Iran, with the most critical barriers identified through Shannon entropy analysis of qualitative data. The second phase applies the Grey Interpretive Ranking Process (GIRP), a novel methodological approach developed in this study, to prioritize cultural dimensions in relation to Open Innovation Barriers (OIBs). The findings reveal that short-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance, and collectivism emerge as the primary cultural dimensions significantly impeding the adoption of open innovation practices in Iran, demonstrating a strong relation with OIBs. The ranking and comparative analysis indicate that the most substantial open innovation barriers in Iran align closely with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, which received the highest scores in the evaluation.

Social entrepreneurship has undergone significant evolution, which we argue has led to the emergence of a new form of social enterprise we term “new generation social enterprises” (NGSEs). Unlike traditional social enterprises, NGSEs adopt commercial and innovative business models that enable them to function independent of donors. Arguably, NGSEs provide substantiation of the emergence of a fourth sector (hybrid organisations) in addition to the public, private, and civil society/non-profit/NGO sectors. This paper is primarily conceptual, but was informed by interviews with social entrepreneurs (potential NGSEs) and experts in social entrepreneurship. Interviews and our paper discuss: whether NGSEs exist; what makes NGSEs different from other social enterprises; and challenges NGSEs face. We also discuss whether NGSEs are indicative of increasing permeability or whether they are an example of the Fourth Sector. The challenges faced by NGSEs include lack of recognition, legitimacy, and regulatory and taxation hurdles. We suggest that regulatory and policy changes are needed to enhance the reputation and facilitate the ongoing development of social enterprises. What is needed most is awareness and acceptance of the diversity of social enterprises, policy changes that acknowledge the existence of NGSEs, and an international standard to provide appropriate governance of social enterprises.

This study examines the behavioral, structural, and social drivers of green technology adoption across contexts, focusing on Vietnam and Europe as comparative cases. As the global transition toward sustainability accelerates, understanding adoption dynamics in emerging economies becomes increasingly critical. Drawing on a cross-sectional survey of 480 respondents in Vietnam and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4, the study examines how behavioral factors (e.g. social norms, attitudes) and structural enablers (e.g. financial incentives, policy awareness) influence adoption intentions. Results indicate that perceived behavioral control and financial incentives significantly influence adoption intention, while the role of social norms varies by demographic segment. The study also finds that exposure to peer adoption (descriptive norms) plays a more substantial role than normative pressure. Despite the urban and education bias of the purposive, quota-based sample, the findings contribute a culturally nuanced and policy-relevant understanding of behavioral adoption mechanisms in emerging markets. The study emphasizes the importance of culturally informed interventions and targeted policy tools, highlighting how evolving social norms could further enhance adoption behavior across both Vietnam and Europe.

This research examines how varying degrees of globalization and digital transformation affect skill demand, socioeconomic inequality and convergence in the EU by 2030. The study employs a comprehensive scenario-mapping approach using state-of-the-art literature, existing econometric analyses conducted within the GI-NI project used as contextual inputs and expert insights. Four scenarios are developed based on potential trends in digital transformation (stagnation or acceleration) and globalization (further globalization or deglobalization). These scenarios highlight essential changes needed to improve skills and alleviate inequality. In all scenarios, the future labour market demands a rapidly evolving skill set, with persistent risks of skills mismatch across educational groups and a strong focus on digital, technical, analytical and communication skills. Three scenarios suggest worsening inequality, particularly affecting low-skilled workers, women and older individuals, while high-skilled workers adapt more quickly. The study shows that communication technology can drive between-region economic convergence, depending on the interaction with globalization and the pace of digital transformation. However, accelerated digital transformation with deglobalization poses divergence risks, as some EU regions may struggle to adapt quickly. The scenarios underscore the complex interplay between digital transformation and globalization, necessitating multifaceted policy responses to foster inclusive growth and mitigate the adverse effects on vulnerable populations.