Digital Platform, Green Tech Solutions, and Economic, Social, and Ecological Resilience in Innovation Ecosystems

While prior research suggests that digital platforms can strengthen innovation, the escalation of sustainability challenges indicates that we still do not fully understand what a platform structure should look like to bolster green tech innovations while simultaneously strengthening economic, social, and ecological resilience in an innovation ecosystem in the face of extreme climate events. To address this situation, we propose a framework that focuses on digital platforms as a driver of green technology development. Our research sheds light on innovation intermediaries (such as incubators, technology parks, and accelerators) and deep tech startups in an emerging economy in the Global South—in this case, Brazil. We aim to address the following question: What should the platform structure be to share resources and strengthen green technology solutions while strengthening the economic, social, and ecological resilience of an innovation ecosystem? Our research is structured into four macro-phases: 1—systematic literature review; 2—mapping the demands of deep-tech startups and innovation intermediaries to identify potential solutions; 3—mapping the main innovation intermediaries; and 4—development and validation of the proposal. Our proposal is original, fills a gap in the literature, and makes significant contributions: (a) it presents a digital platform framework to strengthen the development of green tech innovations in an innovation ecosystem; (b) it identifies strategic resources offered by innovation intermediaries for the prosperity of green tech innovations and green technology entrepreneurship; and (c) it serves as a guide for deeptech ventures seeking to strengthen the development of green tech solutions and strengthen economic, social, and ecological resilience in the face of major challenges in the context of an emerging economy in the Global South, Brazil, state of Rio de Janeiro. Acknowledgement to the Rio de Janeiro State Research Support Foundation - FAPERJ, Technological Initiation Scholarship, Notice No. 10/2023.