Digitalization and Sustainability Synergies: Empowering Coastal SMEs in the Blue Economy Era

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_79How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Digitalization; Sustainability; Coastal SMEs; Blue Economy

Abstract

Digital transformation has become a critical driver of competitiveness and sustainability for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in coastal regions where the blue economy is increasingly emphasized. However, the extent to which digitalization empowers coastal SMEs while aligning with sustainability principles remains underexplored. This study aims to examine the synergies between digitalization and sustainability in empowering coastal SMEs within the blue economy framework, with a specific focus on Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and observations involving 20 respondents, consisting of business owners and SME workers who had adopted or attempted to adopt digital technologies. Thematic analysis was applied to identify adoption levels, enabling and constraining factors, integration with sustainability practices, and empowerment strategies. The findings reveal that digital adoption among coastal SMEs remains partial, mostly limited to social media use for promotion, with e-commerce utilization still underdeveloped due to limited digital literacy, inadequate infrastructure, and cultural resistance. Nevertheless, when combined with sustainability-oriented practices, digitalization enhances business efficiency, reduces reliance on intermediaries, expands market access, and strengthens competitiveness. The study further proposes a strategic empowerment model emphasizing digital literacy training, infrastructure improvement, local brand development, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and continuous mentoring. This research contributes theoretically by offering an integrative framework that links digitalization, sustainability, and the blue economy, and practically by providing actionable strategies for policymakers, academics, and entrepreneurs to strengthen coastal SMEs’ role in sustainable maritime development.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - M.Muh. Mappatunru
AU  - Andi M. Rusli
AU  - Suhardiman Syamsu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/13
TI  - Digitalization and Sustainability Synergies: Empowering Coastal SMEs in the Blue Economy Era
BT  - Proceedings of the World Conference on Governance and Social Sciences 2025 (WCGSS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1119
EP  - 1126
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_79
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-545-4_79
ID  - Mappatunru2026
ER  -