Towards an Innovative and Resilient Blue Economy: A Critical Literature Review of Sustainable Innovation Ecosystems

Abstract

Abstract

In a global context characterized by recurrent ecological and economic crises, the blue economy stands out as a strategic lever for developing new models of sustainable and resilient growth. Innovation lies at the heart of this transformation, mobilizing maritime ecosystems that integrate technological, social, territorial, and environmental challenges. This study provides a critical and theoretical international literature review of the innovations implemented within marine ecosystems and tested through the evolution of the blue economy via a qualitative, critical, and synthetic methodological approach (theoretical and thematic analysis).

The objectives are threefold: (1) to provide a state of the art of existing knowledge on the link between “innovation and sustainability” within the blue economy as a resilient ecosystem; (2) to identify entrepreneurial resilience factors in coastal environments; and (3) to propose a conceptual model explaining the relationship between these key concepts. This review helps fill a theoretical gap concerning the interactions among ecosystems, innovation, and resilience, while opening new research and policy avenues to support the economic transitions of coastal zones.

Keywords: Blue Economy; Sustainable Innovation; Resilience; Ecosystems; Sustainability