This PhD project at The Open University invites candidates to explore the evolving relationship between sustainability, public funding mechanisms, and innovation in emerging industries, with a particular focus on sectors such as the drone industry. These industries are marked by rapid technological advancement, regulatory changes, and growing societal importance, making them ideal for examining how public investment, financial innovation, and integrated reporting frameworks can drive sustainable transitions. The research is part of a broader inquiry into how innovative and sustainable business models are conceived, financed, and scaled in modern organisational and market contexts. Key questions include the role of public funding—through grants, subsidies, and mission-oriented innovation policies—in shaping the strategic direction of early-stage industries, and how financial instruments like green bonds, impact investment, and sustainability-linked loans interact with integrated reporting practices to influence investor behaviour, corporate governance, and long-term value creation. The project aims to critically assess the drivers and barriers to sustainable innovation in emerging sectors, exploring how public and private financial frameworks support or constrain the development and diffusion of sustainable technologies. It will also investigate how integrated reporting, especially ESG disclosures and non-financial performance metrics, affects organisational strategy and stakeholder engagement. A theoretical model will be developed to capture the feedback loops between innovation, sustainability outcomes, public policy, and financial ecosystems, contributing to a deeper understanding of how profitability can be aligned with long-term environmental and societal goals in industries still forming their institutional identity. Methodologically, the project encourages a mixed-methods approach, including systematic literature reviews, qualitative case studies, quantitative analysis of financial and sustainability data, and comparative policy analysis. The project offers significant potential for theoretical and societal impact by integrating public funding mechanisms and financial reporting practices into the analysis of nascent industries, an area that remains underexplored. Applicants are expected to develop an original research proposal within the broad thematic parameters of the project, allowing for flexibility to incorporate their own academic background and interests. The position is available for both campus-based and distance learning modes, and is supervised by Dr Giacomo Carli and Dr Cristiana Bernardi from The Open University Business School.