The purpose of this study is to present a comprehensive scientometric mapping of research on Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9), with a specific focus on industry and innovation, over the past decade (2015–2024). Traditional bibliometric methods, which primarily rely on quantitative measures such as citation counts and impact factors, have undergone a paradigm shift with the emergence of modern metrics. In most cases, researchers obtain metadata from databases such as Scopus or Web of Science (WoS). The present study applies scientometric laws (Zipf’s Law and Bradford’s Law) along with advanced bibliometric techniques, including keyword co-occurrence network analysis, to delineate the evolution and thematic structure of this research field.
It was found that only a limited number of bibliometric studies combine Scopus and WoS for scientometric mapping of SDG 9, industry and innovation. The study integrated two data sets using the R package “Bibliometrix” to conduct bibliometric analyses, ensuring broader coverage of publications. The data was downloaded from Scopus as well as WoS database and filtered through preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses approach.
It depicts publication trends, citations, growth rate and doubling time, most influential authors, sources production over time, highly cited documents, most frequent words, network analysis of keyword co-occurrence, most prolific keywords, countries and authors through three field plots, key thematic focus areas with emerging topics and countries scientific production in industry, innovation and SDG 9 research. The findings reveal a significant increase in scholarly output following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2015), underscoring the influence of global policy on research. The analysis identifies seminal works and influential authors, while also highlighting robust international collaboration networks that contribute to the dynamic and interdisciplinary nature of SDG 9 research.
The data set was confined to research papers from major databases such as WoS and Scopus. This focus may have excluded relevant contributions from non-indexed journals, grey literature and non-English sources. Overall, this scientometric review provides valuable insights for policymakers and research scholars into how academic research and digital innovation intersect to promote sustainable innovation and industrialization.
The scientometric mapping of SDG 9 research highlights how global policy initiatives, interdisciplinary approaches and international collaborations are driving the evolution of sustainable industrialization. As the world continues to advance toward the 2030 Agenda, it is imperative that future research not only deepens our understanding of these dynamics but also translates findings into actionable policies and innovative practices. By integrating diverse methodological approaches and fostering collaborative networks, researchers and policy-makers alike can work together to ensure that sustainable development remains at the forefront of global industrial progress.
Earlier studies have analyzed the role of governmental policies in facilitating sustainable industrialization, highlighting the intersection between regulation and innovation. However, much of the existing literature concentrates on regional case studies or isolated thematic areas. Scientometric mapping has emerged as a pivotal method for understanding rapid transformation such as sustainable development and industrial innovation. The methodological foundation for this approach was laid by early studies that emphasized the visualization of knowledge structures through bibliometric networks. No study was found that have applied scientometric laws and combined the dataset of WoS and Scopus by using R-studio and Biblioshiny.
