This study examines the relationship between ESG practices and corporate performance in China’s capital-intensive industries and evaluates whether internal control quality moderates these associations. Drawing on stakeholder theory, agency theory, and institution theory, the analysis distinguishes between an external perspective and an internal perspective in understanding ESG-related performance patterns. Under the external perspective, performance is assessed using ROA and Tobin’s Q, while under the internal perspective, the analysis focuses on firm-level implementation and operational transformation, captured through employee productivity, with internal control quality reflecting governance and execution capacity. Using a balanced panel of 1718 A-share listed firms in manufacturing, construction, and transportation from 2020 to 2023, ESG scores are obtained from the HuaZheng database, firm performance and control variables from CSMAR, and internal control quality from the DIB database. Two-way fixed effects regressions are used to estimate baseline ESG-performance associations, and interaction models with simple-slope analyses are used to examine moderating patterns. The results show that ESG practices are negatively associated with ROA and Tobin’s Q, while the association between ESG practices and employee productivity is not statistically significant in the baseline model. Internal control quality positively moderates the ESG relationships with ROA and employee productivity, but not with Tobin’s Q. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of governance capacity and implementation credibility in shaping how ESG commitments are translated into performance outcomes in capital-intensive industries.

Sustainable development frameworks are largely reliant on sector-specific outcomes. This approach overlooks the governance of higher education institutions (HEIs)—the very establishments that generate knowledge, expertise, and human capital upon which the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs’) outcomes ultimately depend. This Perspective aimed to advance the following argument. Meritocratic governance in HEIs is a structural determinant of sustainable development. HEIs constitute a core intellectual infrastructure which shapes workforce competence, capacity for innovation, and the basis of policymaking across several SDGs domains. These relevant SDGs domains entail health, education, economic productivity, technological advancement, equity, and institutional integrity. When HEIs recruitment, promotion, and selection of leadership are weakly aligned with established competence, the consequences extend beyond academic underperformance. It undermines SDGs via systemic inefficiencies, including suboptimal allocation of human capital, compromised research quality and innovation, and erosion of trust in institutions. These negative impacts weaken the intergenerational transmission of institutional capacity. In turn, the lack of meritocratic governance in HEIs is expected to constrain the progress toward SDGs. This Perspective draws on governance theory, development economics, and higher education research to reformulate meritocracy as institutional infrastructure in HEIs rather than a normative aspiration. In this formulation, meritocracy functions as a mechanism that governs talent allocation efficiency, strengthens professional legitimacy, and eventually facilitates the sustainable development. Thus, a transparent, accountable, and context-sensitive merit-based governance in HEIs is proposed as a key yet an overlooked pillar of the broader development architecture necessary to achieve SDGs.

As industries move towards greater integration of advanced robotics, the focus on human-centric approach promoted by Industry 5.0 becomes essential. One of the enabling technologies of Industry 5.0 is collaborative robotics. Nevertheless, the literature indicates that the aspect of the application of Human Factors/Ergonomics (HFE), in industrial collaborative robotics is an emerging and not yet consolidated research topic. For this reason, the aim of this research is to explore the current state of the art regarding the application of Human Factors/Ergonomics (HFE) in the design and management of human-robot collaborative (HRC) workstations in the manufacturing industry adopting the Industry 5.0 approach. A systematic literature review was conducted identifying a total of forty scientific journal articles that met the established inclusion criteria. It was found that the main research topics addressed by the reviewed literature are: Factors influencing the acceptance of cobots by human coworkers and managers, Methodologies and tools used for ergonomics assessment in HRC systems, Task allocation strategies, Technical and ethical guidelines for the design of HRC workstations, and Sustainability assessment in HRC configurations. All the findings of this study have been meticulously presented and discussed, and it is expected that they can guide academics and practitioners in designing and managing HRC workstations to make them more human-centered, sustainable, resilient, and efficient. The value of this article lies in the fact that the results have been analyzed from an industrial engineering perspective and can serve as a complement to studies on the subject carried out by robotics specialists.

The construction industry is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. In response, sustainable construction practices using environmentally friendly, low-impact materials are gaining prominence, in line with recent EU regulations. Among bio‑based materials, cork stands out for its sustainability and versatility. However, public awareness of its potential in construction remains poorly understood. This study presents the results of a public survey (n = 237) conducted across four Portuguese cities located in different regions of the country. We assessed public awareness of cork as a sustainable building material and perceptions of the socioecological importance of cork oak land use systems, while examining how respondents’ demographic factors influence awareness levels. While most respondents (70%) were familiar with common construction materials in Portugal, only 5% identified cork as a potential material for exterior façades. Most respondents (90%) perceived cork as a sustainable material, mainly for environmental reasons. Younger individuals (18−34 years old) consistently exhibited the lowest awareness, whereas older respondents (≥55 years) showed the highest. Regional contrasts were also observed, with Setúbal exhibiting the lowest awareness and Coimbra and Aveiro showing the highest. Our findings highlight a gap in public awareness of cork’s potential for exterior façades and the broader socioecological importance of cork oak land use systems, underscoring the need for targeted communication and education strategies. Although grounded in Portugal, the insights may inform broader initiatives to integrate locally sourced bio‑based materials into sustainable construction strategies and public awareness efforts.