Title: Responsibility in product development: mapping the knowledge landscape

Authors: Nusa Fain; Michel Rod; Andrej Kastrin; Nikola Vukasinovic

Addresses: Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, 7007 Nicol Building, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada ' University of New Brunswick, Oland Hall 114, 355 Campus Ring Road, PO Box 5050, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada ' Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 6, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract: Responsible innovation has become an increasingly relevant yet conceptually fragmented theme in product development. This paper employs scientometric analysis of 3438 publications (1951-2023) to map the articulation of responsibility, sustainability, and green/eco-innovation in the product development literature. We observe a shift from technically focused product development and engineering design toward socially and environmentally oriented themes, such as social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and green innovation, with an increasing convergence among key constructs in the most recent decade. Building on periodised cluster maps, we develop a Responsibility in Innovation Matrix that locates constructs along two dimensions: triple-bottom-line emphasis (economic, environmental, social) and level of analysis (project-level 'zooming in' vs. organisational-level 'zooming out'). The matrix clarifies overlap zones and persistent boundary issues and provides a structured lens for scholars and managers seeking to locate, compare and evaluate constructs of responsible product development.

Keywords: responsible innovation; product development; sustainability; green innovation; eco-innovation; corporate social responsibility; scientometric analysis; co-word analysis; bibliometric mapping; thematic evolution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2026.151649

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2026 Vol.20 No.1, pp.79 - 110

Received: 26 Dec 2024
Accepted: 12 Nov 2025
Published online: 11 Feb 2026 *

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