Determinants of sustainable & responsible innovations: A firm-level analysis for Italy

This paper provides a micro-econometric analysis of the factors facilitating the introduction of Sustainable & Responsible Innovations by firms, with a focus on those aimed at improving occupational health and safety and reducing environmental impacts. Compared to the latter, the former objective of innovation has rarely been investigated with quantitative methods. By means of a bivariate probit model, we assess whether firms pursuing workers’ health and safety as innovation objective are also ascribing high importance to environment preservation. The evidence provided by using data for Italian firms highlights the key role of external knowledge and innovation sources and internal human resource practices for the achievement of Sustainable & Responsible innovative outcomes. Many similarities but also some differences between innovative firms emerge, according to whether they are committed to health and safety or environment protection.