Public policies for innovation and the development of innovation ecosystems represent strategic alternatives to boost economic development and corporate competitiveness, in addition to contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To enhance understanding on these subjects, this study proposes an Integrative Systematic Review (ISW), utilising the PRISMA-P protocol to investigate the relationship between public policies and innovation ecosystems. A total of 51 articles were analysed, yielding significant insights into the examined bibliographic corpus. The results are presented by identified categories, through qualitative data analysis, with the support of the artificial intelligence (AI) of the Atlas.ti software. Identified categories included open innovation, partners and collaboration, challenges and barriers, innovation ecosystems, sustainability, and the circular economy, among others, providing valuable insights for future research. From these categories, an overview of the discussions involving public policies and innovation ecosystems was presented. Questions for future research were outlined, involving themes such as public policies for the development of innovation ecosystems, open innovation, financing, inter-institutional collaboration, sustainability, digitalisation, and the assessment of policy effectiveness. This study further highlights the importance of public policies in promoting innovation and the development of innovation ecosystems, offering concrete suggestions for policymakers, institutions, and companies on how to enhance collaboration and sustainably drive innovation across different geographical contexts.