ABSTRACT Objective: the idea of this special issue is to explore in more detail how resilient, sustainable, and responsible business models could be developed. Methods: the papers selected for this special issue offer different approaches to study (a) the state of the art of this field and (b) methods and drivers for achieving the above goals. The research design used is systematic literature reviews, qualitative studies, quantitative studies, and case studies. Results: from the literature reviews, it becomes evident that the triple bottom line needs more sophisticated approaches including operationalization, analysis, discussion, or results of all the three dimensions. Further, several of the papers support recent research regarding the importance of the stakeholders. Conclusions: stakeholder participation emerges as an important research avenue for sustainable business model. Thus, the sustainable business models and the responsible research and innovation literature approach each other on this issue. Managerial implication is to focus on including and understanding its stakeholders. Political implication is to be aware of the context that businesses are operating in to create systems that make it possible to operate sustainably.