The Nexus between Digitalization and Sustainability a Scientometric Analysis

Digitalization and sustainability are among the most critical mega-trends in 21 st century. The nexus between digitalization and sustainability unfolds exciting opportunities in addressing global challenges and creating a more just and sustainable society, laying the groundwork for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Even though the two paradigms are linked and mutually impact one another, there is no proof yet of their actual contribution to highlight the link between two megatrends. This article examines this nexus by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of academic literature examining the relationship between sustainability and digitalization across time, disciplines, and countries. The WOS database was searched for relevant publications published between January 1, 1900, and October 31, 2021. The search returned 8629 publications, of which 3405 were identified as primary documents pertaining to the study presented below. The review locates this nexus in the literature, prominent authors, nations, organizations, and prevalent research issues and examines how they have evolved chronologically. The results reveal four main domains in the nexus of sustainability and digitalization including Governance, Energy, Innovation, and Systems. The concept of Governance is developed within the Planning and Policy-making themes. Energy relates to the themes of emission, consumption, and production. Innovation has associated the themes of business, strategy, and values & environment. Finally, systems interconnect with networks, industry 4.0, and the supply chain. The findings are intended to inform and stimulate more research and policy-making debate on the potential interconnection between sustainability and digitization, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era.