Abstract
The rapid expansion of downstream space activities in the New Space era is reshaping how economic value is created from space infrastructures, with commercial uses of Earth observation (EO), navigation and communication increasingly driving sectoral growth (Bousedra, 2023). At the same time, downstream data‐intensive services – such as EO‑based climate services – face mounting expectations to contribute to sustainable and responsible business practice. However, we still know relatively little about how sustainable business model innovation (SBMI) concepts and tools are being applied to downstream space value chains and how they may enable just, climate‑oriented transitions.
This developmental paper presents the design of a literature review that aims to map and critically synthesise how SBMI has been conceptualised, operationalised and empirically studied in relation to the downstream space economy, with particular attention to EO‑based climate and environmental applications. Building on the triadic view of SBMI as sustainable value proposition, creation & delivery, and capture innovation, the review will focus on business models that transform satellite data into value‑added services for public and private users engaged in climate mitigation, adaptation and territorial management.
Methodologically, the paper outlines an initial plan to conduct a systematic literature review following the guidance of Xiao and Watson (2019), using Web of Science and Scopus as core databases. Depending on the volume, heterogeneity and maturity of the identified body of knowledge, the design may subsequently be adjusted toward a scoping review (Peters et al., 2020; Tricco et al., 2016) or an integrative review (Toronto & Remington, 2020). The paper concludes by discussing the expected theoretical and practical contributions and detailing how the review and related outputs will be further developed prior to and after the BAM 2026 conference.