Identification of research areas in fuel sales forecasting within the business ecosystem context: A review, theoretical synthesis, and extension

Aim/purpose – This paper aims to explore both fuel sales forecasting and the business ecosystem, subsequently reversing the focus to examine the business ecosystem in the context of fuel sales forecasting. Accompanying this research objective are the following research questions: 1) Does the order in which the topics of “business ecosystems” and “fuel sales forecasting” are searched affect the search results? 2) Which keywords frequently co-occur in publications related to “business ecosystems” and “fuel sales forecasting”? 3) What is the relationship between the terms “fuel sales forecasting” and “business ecosystem”? Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a hybrid review methodology, utilizing specific queries within the Scopus database to identify research themes and motifs. This hybrid form of literature review integrates the tenets of both bibliometric and structured reviews. In this study, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework was employed. The visual analysis was conducted using VOSviewer bibliometric software, with a focus on keywords relevant to the relationship between fuel sales forecasting and business ecosystem terms. Findings – Key findings include the identification of co-occurring keywords in fuel sales forecasting and business ecosystem theory literature. The study reveals research gaps and potential areas for future study in business ecosystems, highlighting the impact of fuel sales forecasting in various economic sectors beyond traditional ones, like forestry, agriculture, and fisheries. Utilizing a hybrid literature study research method, the paper analyses data from scientific publications in the Scopus database and employs VOSviewer software to develop bibliometric maps of keyword co-occurrences. Research implications/limitations – The research underscores the broad implications of fuel sales forecasting within a business ecosystem context and identifies areas lacking in-depth study. This study maps scientific publications, identifying the intellectual structure and current research trends. This study contributes to the understanding of fuel sales forecasting within the business ecosystem context as a part of the energy sector transition. Originality/value/contribution – This paper contributes to the field of science and practice by identifying research areas integrating fuel sales forecasting within the business ecosystem construct. It indicates future promising research avenues for researchers and industry professionals, aiming to guide ongoing research. The article addresses a significant theme that warrants scholarly attention. This study allows researchers to define the research gaps covered by published articles and indicate the directions of scientific development.