Sustainable Futures: Redefining Africa's Circular Economy Through FinTech and Knowledge‐Driven Innovations

IF 13.3 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Business Strategy and The Environment Pub Date : 2025-09-06 DOI:10.1002/bse.70167

Emmanuel K. Manu, David Atitie, Simplice A. Asongu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

As sustainability becomes a global imperative, the circular economy (CE) presents a vital strategy for resource efficiency and resilience, particularly in Africa. This study examines how FinTech and knowledge‐driven innovations (i.e., human capital, ICT access, and innovation) shape CE outcomes across 33 African countries from 1997 to 2021. Using feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), panel‐corrected standard errors (PCSE), instrumental variables (2SLS), and quantile regression (MM‐QR), the study finds that FinTech adoption significantly enhances CE, especially through its role in enabling digital financial inclusion and low‐waste practices. Human capital positively impacts CE. ICT infrastructure shows mixed but important effects: mobile cellular subscriptions (ICT1) broaden access to digital tools, while secure internet servers (ICT2) are essential for advanced CE technologies. Innovation output exerts positive effects on CE and enhances the impact of FinTech. Regional findings reveal that Southern Africa shows the highest FinTech‐driven CE gains, supported by strong ICT and human capital; East and West Africa benefit from ICT2 and patenting, while Central Africa's CE potential is limited by weak digital infrastructure. These findings highlight the need for integrated, region‐specific policy approaches to accelerate CE transitions.

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可持续未来：通过金融科技和知识驱动型创新重新定义非洲循环经济

随着可持续发展成为全球的当务之急，循环经济（CE）提出了提高资源效率和恢复力的重要战略，特别是在非洲。本研究考察了金融科技和知识驱动型创新（即人力资本、信息通信技术获取和创新）如何在1997年至2021年期间影响33个非洲国家的CE成果。利用可行广义最小二乘（FGLS）、面板校正标准误差（PCSE）、工具变量（2SLS）和分位数回归（MM‐QR），研究发现，金融科技的采用显著提高了消费水平，特别是通过其在实现数字金融普惠和低浪费实践方面的作用。人力资本正向影响企业绩效。ICT基础设施显示出混合但重要的影响：移动蜂窝用户（ICT1）扩大了对数字工具的访问，而安全的互联网服务器（ICT2）对于先进的CE技术至关重要。创新产出正向影响企业绩效，增强金融科技的影响。区域调查结果显示，在强大的信息通信技术和人力资本的支持下，南部非洲显示出金融科技驱动的最高CE增长；东非和西非受益于ICT2和专利，而中非的电子产品潜力受到薄弱的数字基础设施的限制。这些研究结果突出表明，需要采取针对特定区域的综合政策方法来加速可持续发展转型。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Business Strategy and The Environment Multiple-

CiteScore

22.50

自引率

19.40%

发文量

336

期刊介绍： Business Strategy and the Environment (BSE) is a leading academic journal focused on business strategies for improving the natural environment. It publishes peer-reviewed research on various topics such as systems and standards, environmental performance, disclosure, eco-innovation, corporate environmental management tools, organizations and management, supply chains, circular economy, governance, green finance, industry sectors, and responses to climate change and other contemporary environmental issues. The journal aims to provide original contributions that enhance the understanding of sustainability in business. Its target audience includes academics, practitioners, business managers, and consultants. However, BSE does not accept papers on corporate social responsibility (CSR), as this topic is covered by its sibling journal Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. The journal is indexed in several databases and collections such as ABI/INFORM Collection, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, BIOBASE, Emerald Management Reviews, GeoArchive, Environment Index, GEOBASE, INSPEC, Technology Collection, and Web of Science.