Technological Innovation in Start-Ups on a Pathway to Achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: A Systematic Review

Abstract

In a start-up, the level of technological innovation is crucial to the start-up’s competitiveness, especially in the digital age; as a result, high-tech start-ups stand a better chance of being more profitable than middle-tech and low-tech start-ups. The aim of this study is to identify and examine research papers regarding the role of technological innovation in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG) in the current context. This study intends to fill research gaps by performing a systematic literature review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA guidelines on the subject. To investigate advancements in the use of start-up technologies, scientific publications were obtained from the Scopus database, yielding a total of 384 entries for the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and the meta-analyses identification stage. The findings indicate that high technology encompasses artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), and collaborative robots; medium technology comprises mobile applications, big data, and cloud computing; and low technology consists of software and connectivity. Each of the technological innovations plays a significant role in advancing SDG 8, encompassing aspects such as economic growth, employment, productivity, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, development policies, and business growth.