Digital Transformation and Sustainable Production in BRICS : Economic, Innovation and Clean‐Energy Drivers of ICT ‐Enabled Growth

ABSTRACT Digital trade has become an increasingly important pathway through which emerging economies pursue sustainable business development under growing environmental and structural constraints. This study examines the determinants of information and communication technology (ICT) goods exports in BRICS economies over the period 2000–2022, focusing on the roles of income sustainability, foreign direct investment (FDI), innovation, structural transformation, and renewable energy use. To capture cross‐country heterogeneity and non‐linear effects, the analysis applies the Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR), supported by panel diagnostics including cross‐sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity, unit root, and cointegration tests. The empirical results reveal a stable long‐run relationship between ICT exports and their determinants. Adjusted Net National Income (ANI), Research and Development Expenditure (RDE), FDI, Employment in Services (EMS), and Renewable Energy Consumption (REC) all exert positive and statistically significant effects across the ICT export distribution, with impacts strengthening toward higher quantiles. Income sustainability and innovation intensity emerge as the most influential drivers, while renewable energy adoption plays a complementary role in enabling greener digital production. These findings indicate that ICT‐led competitiveness supports pathways consistent with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by linking innovation‐led growth, structural upgrading, and cleaner energy use within emerging economies.