Integrating sustainability with disruptive innovation: A comprehensive framework to identify key characteristics, barriers, and enablers

This study develops a comprehensive framework for Sustainable Disruptive Innovations (SDIs) to address gaps in understanding how disruption can drive sustainability transitions. Although research on disruptive innovation and sustainability has advanced substantially, their integration remains limited and conceptually fragmented. Drawing on a systematic review of 53 studies and content analysis of 28 cases, we identify the core characteristics, barriers, and enablers that shape SDI emergence and scalability. Using the Sustainability Pillars Model, the framework explains how early niche entry, iterative value-proposition refinement, and the reconfiguration of value networks enable SDIs to progress toward broader adoption. We also distinguish user-driven and producer-driven SDIs, revealing how each follows different trajectories and confronts distinct constraints. The findings show that SDIs succeed when barrier–enabler dynamics support movement from early experimentation to system-level impact. The study extends disruption theory by demonstrating how sustainability considerations reshape innovation pathways and provides actionable insights for leveraging market disruption to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.