Digital Transformation and Innovation in Digital Business: Navigating Sustainable Transitions, Emerging Technologies, and Public Value

Dear Colleagues,

Today’s global landscape is increasingly characterized by the convergence of profound technological, geopolitical, and ecological transformations that are redefining the foundations of economic systems, organizational structures, and societal interactions. The acceleration of digital technologies, ranging from AI and data analytics to platform-based ecosystems, is coupled with growing environmental pressures and shifting geopolitical dynamics, creating both unprecedented opportunities and complex systemic challenges. In this context, sustainable digital transformation has evolved beyond a simple process of technology adoption to become an essential strategic driver for strengthening organizational resilience, fostering adaptability, and promoting long-term public value creation.

Organizations across all industries—from digitizing public administrations to redesigning global supply chains and transforming healthcare systems—are being forced to rethink their business models, governance structures, and innovation processes. These transformations raise important questions about the role of digital innovation in addressing sustainability imperatives, reducing inequalities, and promoting inclusive growth, while considering ethical concerns, data governance issues, and regulatory constraints.

This Special Issue, titled "Digital Transformation and Innovation in Digital Business: Navigating Sustainable Transitions, Emerging Technologies, and Public Value", aims to provide a high-level interdisciplinary platform to advance scientific understanding of the multifaceted nature of digital transformation and its implications for organizations and society.

In particular, this Special Issue seeks to explore how digital innovation is reshaping organizational paradigms, market structures, and ecosystem dynamics, and how these transformations contribute to—or hinder—the creation of sustainable and inclusive value.

We invite high-quality contributions that address these challenges from a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives. Submissions may include conceptual and theoretical articles, robust quantitative and qualitative empirical studies, as well as longitudinal and comparative case studies. We particularly encourage research that examines the interaction between emerging technologies (e.g., AI, Internet of Things, blockchain, digital platforms), managerial practices, institutional environments, and innovation processes, with a focus on their implications for sustainability, governance, and public value.

Main topics and areas to be covered include the following:

This Special Issue invites contributions that the advance theoretical and empirical understanding of digital transformation and innovation in electronic commerce, with a particular focus on sustainability, governance, and value creation. In line with JTAER’s emphasis on digital markets, platforms, and data-driven business models, we welcome research in the following areas:

• Digital Transformation and Digital Innovation in E-Commerce: Digital transformation as a driver of business model innovation in electronic markets; platform-based value creation; data-driven decision-making; and the role of emerging technologies (e.g., AI, blockchain, IoT) in shaping digital commerce ecosystems and customer engagement (Wurm et al., 2025; Naldi et al., 2025).
• Sustainability and Public Sector Innovation in Digital Markets: The role of digital platforms infrastructures in enabling sustainable consumption and circular economy practices; green digital strategies; and the transformation of public services through digital marketplaces and data-driven governance in healthcare, education, transport, etc. (Lyu et al., 2024; OECD, 2025).
• Digital Governance, Trust, and Value Creation: Data governance, privacy, and ethical AI in e-commerce environments; trust-building mechanisms in online platforms; regulatory frameworks for digital markets; and the creation of economic, social, and public value through digital ecosystems (Manganelli et al., 2025).
• Human–Technology Interaction and the Future of Digital Work: Human–AI interaction in digital commerce contexts; algorithmic management in platform-based work; digital labor and gig economy dynamics; and the implications of digitalization for user experience, trust, and workforce well-being (Cui, 2025).

Dr. Slim Hadoussa
Dr. Wissal Ben Arfi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.