From Standardised Compliance to Sustainable Tourism Entrepreneurship

This paper analyses seven project deliverables from the Interreg Euro-MED “MAST” project to examine its sustainability protocol as a sociotechnical boundary object facilitating ISO 21401:2018 adoption among Mediterranean tourism SMEs. Using Science and Technology Studies (STS) and boundary object theory, we conducted qualitative content analysis (QCA) to map how the protocol translates global standards into SME roadmaps addressing implementation costs, skill gaps, and legitimacy barriers. Results reveal a tension between managerial scripting (actionable tables and KPIs) and relational openings (peer learning and stakeholder prompts). While enabling SME access to certification, the protocol risks “smart compliance” by prioritising formal verification over substantive transformation. Universities emerge as key boundary brokers, potentially translating technical standards into entrepreneurial competencies and curricula. Limited to pre-implementation project documents, the analysis identifies discursive conditions under which standardised tools could support regenerative governance. Findings suggest university–SME partnerships as promising mechanisms for aligning certification with Mediterranean socio-ecological priorities, warranting empirical testing through SME implementation studies.