Rethinking regional development under the imperative of environmental and socio-economic sustainability

This editorial frames regional development under the imperative of environmental and social sustainability, arguing that competitiveness and sustainability must be pursued jointly through innovation that reshapes regional trajectories. It situates emerging policy approaches–Smart Specialisation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (S3+), and Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI)–and calls for challenge-oriented, experimental, and place-based governance that balances directionality and subsidiarity. The collection contributes evidence on biocluster network archetypes, multilevel institutions and green innovation, platform-empowered cluster development, network structure and complexity in green inventions, and green industrial resilience during COVID-19. Together, the papers advance a research agenda on clusters, networks and policies that enable context-specific, just and effective sustainability transitions.