Responsible digital innovation: the new business challenges in the digital era

Purpose This study explores the concept of responsible digital innovation and the challenges faced by the business sector and academia in the new digital era. It is based on the need for companies to implement sustainable digital innovation models that integrate the generation of shared social values as a competitive strategy in a highly agile digital environment. Design/methodology/approach The methodology consists of a systematic review of the literature covering the period from 2010 to 2024, which allowed us to identify the relationships between various concepts and research gaps. Findings The debate on responsible digital innovation encompasses multiple levels and actors. The connection between digital innovation and social impacts highlights a broad area of research that brings together the private sector, academia and the government. Research limitations/implications The literature review focuses on the relationships among innovation, digital innovation, corporate social responsibility (CSR), responsible innovation, competitiveness and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study primarily included Q1 and Q2 articles published in English, allowing for a more targeted analysis within the scope of the research objective. Originality/value This research contributes to the discussion on responsible digital innovations and their practical implications for companies managing new competitive business models focusing on sustainability and shared value generation. It also offers implications for policymakers who must foster innovation for competitiveness, safeguarding social, environmental and ethical interests, and for the Academia, which faces the challenge of establishing new programs and approaches that integrate ethics and social responsibility and respond to new skill demands in a context marked by digitalization. This research emphasizes the need to delve deeper into this topic with the active participation of academia, the business sector and regulators or public policymakers.