Since the early 1990s, the “impact of regulations and standards in stimulating organizational innovation” has been a subject of extensive academic discussion. This study aims to identify the types of standards and their mechanisms for influencing innovation through public policy. Initially, a comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to collect definitions of innovation and innovation policy, followed by an analysis of the relationship between different types of standards and innovation, as well as the effect of government regulations on these standards. Subsequently, a case study on the “mandatory low-sulfur fuel standard implemented in 2020 in the shipping industry” was conducted, detailing the structure of the International Maritime Organization and the process of transforming a proposal into an enforceable standard. In the final section, qualitative methods and expert interviews were employed to evaluate the diverse strategies adopted by countries and major companies to comply with this standard, focusing on their innovative responses. These strategies included the use of marine diesel and low-sulfur fuels, utilization of low-sulfur fuel blends, installation of exhaust gas cleaning systems on ships, adoption of natural gas, and alternative marine fuels such as methanol and biofuels, supported by research and development in refinery, chemical, nanotechnology, and polymer industries. These approaches represent various product and process innovations at multiple organizational levels. The case study demonstrates that global standardization can effectively encourage diverse forms of innovation and shape the developmental trajectory of nations and companies.