Social innovation for a sustainable bioeconomy - a bibliometric analysis

This paper explores the underexamined intersection between literature on social innovation and bioeconomy, emphasizing how social innovation can catalyze the structural change necessary for a truly sustainable transition. Using a novel bibliometric approach, we map the scientific and intellectual landscape of both fields, identify thematic communities, and uncover "hidden links" between research strands that do not explicitly reference each other but share foundational concepts and objectives. Our analysis reveals that while bioeconomy and social innovation literatures have grown substantially, they remain largely disconnected, with most cross-references occurring in policy- and governance-focused publications, a segment now showing signs of stagnation and thematic drift. Our paper underscores the need for interdisciplinary integration and offers a foundation for future research and policy frameworks that align technological and social dimensions of sustainability.