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Despite growing recognition of the Global South in innovation, it is still seen as “low-cost” or “frugal,” while the Global North dominates.

Despite the growing recognition of the Global South as a contributor to global innovation, its role in innovation discourse remains largely characterized by terms of perceived inferiority, such as “low-cost,” “resource-constrained,” or “frugal.” In contrast, the Global North continues to dominate as the primary source of global innovation and the setter of global technological standards. Looking specifically at innovation for sustainability, and drawing on Marxian economic theory, we argue that the unequal exchange of labour and resources between the Global North and the Global South is both a root cause of the development challenges faced by the Global South and a potential foundation for its emergence as a source of global innovations (i.e. solutions) for sustainable development for all. This shift could pave the way for the ontological decolonization of global innovation discourse. We examine this dynamic through the lens of Gramsci’s concepts of cultural hegemony and passive revolution, proposing that the current innovation discourse perpetuates the subordinate status of the Global South, even as it gains recognition as a source of innovation. The framing of the Global South’s contributions within narrow and constrained innovation categories reinforces its secondary position rather than challenging the hegemonic dominance of the Global North and neo-liberalism. However, we contend that this passive revolution—though initially reinforcing the existing power structure—has the potential to evolve into a normative shift. Such a transformation could position the Global South as a key driver of innovation that inspires, and triggers socio-technical system changes aligned with global sustainable development. In this sense, we suggest the process could be reframed as a progressive passive revolution, where the Global South’s innovations transcend their subordinate characterization and contribute to reshaping global innovation systems toward equity and sustainability.