Digital Innovation and Technology Transfer in Emerging Markets and/or from Emerging Markets

Dear Colleagues,

Digitalization has affected many areas of business environments and firms’ activities (Björkdahl, 2020). Due to this reason, the influence of digital transformation and digitization on firms’ business innovation has become a major research topic (Verhoef et al., 2021). In particular, the interest in digital technology and its applications to firms’ sustainability have increased in recent years (George, Merrill, and Schillebeeckx, 2021; Samuel, Lucivero, and Somavilla, 2022). Technological advances have brought various advantages to firms’ management activities, such as productivity improvement and resource conservation (Xie, Wu, and Wang, 2021). A growing number of firms are striving to leverage digital technologies and capabilities to drive sustainable business innovation (Gregori and Holzmann, 2020). Therefore, it is essential to consider the sustainable implications of digitalization in business environments. Meanwhile, emerging markets are currently experiencing both digital disruption and sustainability pressures (Samuel et al., 2022). Growth in emerging markets yields robust and good economic output; however, this also results in problems for many social and environmental sectors (Dana, Salamzadeh, Mortazavi, and Hadizadeh, 2022). For example, global energy consumption is growing at a rapid pace, with one of the main reasons being strong economic growth in emerging economies. This development will create carbon lock-in. In addition, emerging economies are suffering from a technological innovation gap that separates them from their global competitors (Ma and Zhu, 2022). While some firms in emerging countries are quick to respond and are competitive with changes through innovative ideas and product development based on digital technologies, most are struggling. Consequently, the importance of securing the capabilities of firms to utilize digital technologies in emerging countries is growing (Sharma et al., 2021). In this vein, as multinational corporations (MNCs) from developed countries concentrate more of their business activities in emerging markets, there is growing pressure to overcome the risks of host regulators and drive sustainable development (Fazal, Al Mamun, Wahab, and Mohiuddin, 2019). In this situation, technology transfer is seen as a useful way for firms in emerging economies to improve their sustainability (Fazal, Wahab, Yaacob, and Zawawi, 2016). Some MNCs transfer advanced technology to their subsidiaries to increase their competitiveness and contribute to the sustainable development of their local countries (Malairaja and Zawdie, 2004). Although much has been discussed both by practitioners and scholars, no comprehensive synthesis has been undertaken yet on the academic work on (digital) technology transfer for sustainable development, as far as we are aware. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive picture of digital technology transfer by soliciting submissions from researchers who examine diverse theoretical perspectives, adopt diverse empirical approaches, and conduct multiple levels of analysis, as well as qualitative and quantitative experiments, literature reviews, and meta-analyses.

References:

1. Björkdahl, J. Strategies for digitalization in manufacturing firms. Calif. Manage. Rev. 2020, 62, 17–36.
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Dr. Byung Il Park
Prof. Dr. Min-jae Lee
Guest Editors

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• digital innovation as part of organizational strategy
• digital innovation as a conduit for sustainable growth
• digital innovation as a means to reinvent new products and services
• digital innovation to develop sustainable business models
• digital technology transfers to compete against rivals in emerging markets
• digital technology transfers to promote innovative practices in emerging markets
• digital technology transfers to drive sustainable development in emerging markets
• digital technology transfers to make the supply chain and value chain more efficient and long-lived firms (i.e., proxy for sustainability)