Bridging Market Gaps: Building an AI-driven, Human- Centric, and Sustainable Platform for Startup Business Development

The increasing emphasis on innovation, human-centric design, and sustainability highlights the crucial role of startups in driving economic growth and societal progress. However, existing research on innovation ecosystems often overlooks the integration of sustainability and human-centric approaches, especially within the Industry 5.0 paradigm, which focuses on human-technology collaboration. This study addresses these gaps by exploring a sustainable and human- centric innovation ecosystem of startups, with a particular focus on the Rome Technopole (RT). Using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, this research collaborates with RT startups to develop and refine a digital platform designed to help startups build sustainable, human-centric business models. The study combines qualitative data from interviews and questionnaires analysed within RT with existing frameworks on innovation ecosystems, business models and sustainability. Findings to date suggest that ecosystems which prioritize sustainability and human well-being may significantly enhance the resilience and success of startups. This study contributes new insights into the integration of sustainability and human- centric approaches in business development and innovation ecosystems within the Industry 5.0 framework, offering practical implications for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem designers.