ارتباط بین کارآفرینی، نوآوری و توسعه پایدار. تحقیقات در کشورهای اتحادیه اروپا

The nexus of entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable development is a subject of great interest nowadays, as society is looking for solutions leading to sustainable development. Given this context, the paper aims to put in connection sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainable development from both the perspectives of conceptual reflection in literature and a research on the European Union countries. The methodology is based on methods of analysis and synthesis, of interpretation and relevant comparisons. The research results point out that sustainable entrepreneurship, seen through the perspective of innovative SMEs, as considered in the research, is part of the support system for sustainable development, as entrepreneurial enterprises are increasingly recognized as a driving force for innovation and competitiveness, as one of the keys to achieving sustainable development. The research may be particularly important for both researchers and policy makers and offers opportunities for future studies on the subject.

The nexus of entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable development is particularly relevant given the focus on the quality of life, requiring that firms reconcile sustainability aspects with profitability, while innovation and entrepreneurship have been identified as key to defuse sustainability demands.In this generous context of analysis we bring into discussion the reflection of sustainable entrepreneurship into the progress towards sustainable development. The subject, of great interest for academia, scientific community and policy makers, is obviously extensive and complex and needs to be approached from different perspectives. The paper cannot and does not attempt to offer answers to all questions, rather it sets a stage for discussion, exploring some of the many ways in which sustainable innovative entrepreneurship is used in connection with sustainable development. The paper is structured in two parts: the first part presents some landmarks from literature regarding sustainable entrepreneurship in connection to sustainable development and the second part approaches a research on this topic for the European Union EU countries, using methods of analysis and synthesis, of interpretation and relevant comparisons. The paper ends with a section of conclusions regarding the main ideas of the empirical research, with implications for further research.

The emergence and growth of innovative firms is crucial for structural change towards sustainable development. Our research points out that countries where SMEs associated with entrepreneurship are more innovative are placed in the top of the rankings for sustainable development, while countries with weaker performances in terms of innovative entrepreneurship have lower scores of sustainable development. Therefore, sustainable development needs supporting innovation initiatives and activities in business sectors, working as engines for change in the new development paradigm, to address both present and future challenges.