Digital transformation of industrial enterprises as a special type of innovation

Aim. The work aimed to study the conceptual content of the digital transformation of industrial enterprises, as well as to identify and systematize the characteristics of digital transformation as an innovation distinct from traditional types of innovation.

Objectives. The work seeks to analyze the approaches to interpreting the concept of “digital transformation”; to substantiate the need to identify a special type of innovation, namely digital innovation, for classification purposes; and to identify the elements and stages of implementing digital transformation as a digital innovation.

Methods. The study employed comparison and classification, analysis and synthesis, and structural modeling within a systems approach.

Results. Digital transformation implies the widespread adoption of digital technologies. It differs from digitalization in the scale and depth of changes, since digital transformation encompasses all aspects of activity and is comprehensive and radical in nature, while digitalization can be targeted. Digital transformation of an industrial enterprise, which contains an element of novelty, is a type of innovation. However, within the traditional classification scheme, it is difficult to determine the type to which it can be classified. It is proposed to consider digital transformation of enterprises as a special type of innovation, that is as digital innovation. The key difference between digital innovation and traditional innovation is its reliance on new digital technologies, while digital innovation can also be involved in the creation or improvement of products and processes, as well as the transformation of business models in general.

Conclusions. Digital transformation cannot be examined only from a technological perspective. It involves changes to the organization’s overall management system (organizational structure and management mechanisms, business processes, corporate culture, employee engagement, and competencies). Due to this composite nature, applying traditional innovation classifications to digital transformation is challenging. Therefore, it seems rational to identify a specific type of innovation, namely digital innovation, that can be associated with both individual products and processes and the business model as a whole. An innovative business model for an industrial enterprise has more capabilities for success than a single innovative product or process. Incremental improvements do not yield radically new solutions for meeting customer needs and the methods for achieving them. Digital transformation has the potential for such change.

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