Technology-Driven Sustainability in Developing Countries: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

To seek sustainable development worldwide, developing countries are confronted with the double challenge of pursuing economic growth and, at the same time, addressing pressing environmental and social problems, which present an urgent need for technology-based solutions. The study aims to visualize the intellectual and conceptual structure of technology and sustainability-related research in developing countries, to recognize its core themes and intellectual pathscaping. The study uses a bibliometric approach; co-citation and co-occurrence analyses were applied to a corpus of peer-reviewed journal articles from the Scopus database as of 2021. The findings indicate a field whose intellectual center does not feature foundational sustainability theories, but is surprisingly colonized by advanced econometric methodology papers, particularly panel data analysis. From a quantitative perspective, thematic analysis mainly revolves around significant issues (energy transitions, resource management, and the circular economy). The discussion and conclusion identify a key tension in the field. On one hand, the field’s empirical and methodological rigor ensures it generates robust, policy-relevant evidence. However, it potentially marginalizes the rich theoretical and qualitative perspectives on which a more complete understanding depends. This study suggests that the research landscape is methodologically advanced but theoretically limited, suggesting a significant imperative to combine diverse research traditions better to drive sustainable development theory and practice in the developing world.