Conclusions and research directions
The discussion on eco-innovation, although recent, has been achieving increased relevance in the international context. The present study has proved that this debate is still incipient as a general theme, mainly in connection with the particular impact of ecoinnovation in Brazilian SMEs. Based on the literature review on eco-innovation, an initial list of critical factors was organized. The content analyses of the specialists’ point of view allowed for the finding of similarities, overlaps and exclusion aspects between the determinants. Outcomes showed that several difficulties hinder the diffusion of sustainable innovations in Brazilian SMEs context. In addition, a clear disadvantage to small businesses is that most of the existent literature focus is mainly directed to large enterprises, overlooking the significant contribution of SMEs to the global economy. Filling this research gap, the practical implication of this research is to generate new knowledge on the factors that influence the translation of eco-innovations within SMEs into practice to emerging markets, such as Brazil. As a result, our study contributes to scientific research discussing a set of alternatives aiming a more fluid internalization of eco-innovation to Brazilian SMEs context. Academics and professionals from other emerging economies may also use the results of our research to obtain research-oriented and practical-oriented insights for the dissemination of eco-innovations in their nations.
