Designing a Technological Innovation Model for Sustainable Development

Abstract

The objective of this study is to design a comprehensive technological innovation model that supports sustainable development across organizational, environmental, and socio-economic dimensions. This study employed a qualitative research design composed of a systematic meta-synthesis of existing literature and in-depth expert interviews. The meta-synthesis analyzed a wide range of peer-reviewed studies focusing on technological innovation, sustainability, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and organizational capabilities. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight experts selected through purposive and snowball sampling, continuing until theoretical saturation was reached. Data collection tools included a structured extraction protocol for literature analysis and an interview guide targeting innovation drivers, organizational strategies, socio-environmental considerations, and commercialization mechanisms. Data analysis followed grounded theory procedures, including open, axial, and selective coding, enabling the integration of extracted concepts into a coherent theoretical model. Constant comparative analysis ensured congruence between literature-derived constructs and expert insights. The analysis revealed that technological innovation emerges from the interaction of multiple systemic components, including organizational competence, technological capability, environmental factors, business models, and commercialization processes. Eight axial categories were identified: organizational competence, sustainable development, business model, organizational characteristics, technological innovation capability, environmental factors, commercialization, and infrastructure. These categories converged into four selective constructs: technological innovation input and regulatory indicators, supporting variables for technological innovation, the technological innovation model, and economic, social, and environmental effects. The inferential results indicate that sustainable innovation is dependent on the alignment of human capital, institutional structures, knowledge flows, socio-environmental values, and market mechanisms. The study concludes that technological innovation for sustainable development is inherently multidimensional, requiring integrated organizational structures, supportive governance frameworks, and dynamic interactions among technological, economic, and social factors. The resulting model offers a holistic framework that organizations and policymakers can adopt to facilitate innovation pathways leading to sustainable outcomes.