MAPPING THE INTELLECTUAL STRUCTURE OF CIRCULAR ECONOMIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A BIBLIOMETRIC AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Circular economy entrepreneurship has emerged as an important research stream in the context of the transition toward sustainable development. However, the existing body of knowledge remains fragmented and lacks integrative reviews. This study aims to systematize the intellectual structure and identify the main development trends of circular economy entrepreneurship by combining bibliometric analysis and a systematic review approach. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database, yielding 305 initial records. After screening process, 121 articles were retained for analysis. In the first stage, bibliometric methods were employed to describe publication trends over time, identify leading publication sources, and map the intellectual structure through keyword co-occurrence analysis and network visualization using VOSviewer. In the second stage, a systematic review was conducted on highly influential to synthesize theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, research contexts, and major limitations. This study contributes by clarifying the intellectual architecture of the field, integrating science mapping within depth content analysis, and proposing priority research directions for the next three to five years.