Under the editorship of HNU professors Dr Daniel Schallmo, Dr Jens Kolb and Dr Tassilo Schuster as well as Dr Nicky Athanassopoulou from the University of Cambridge in England and Dr Anastasios Sepetis from the University of West Attica in Greece, the special issue brings together contributions from leading academics from Germany and abroad. The issue is divided into four main topics.
First section: Basics & concepts
The first section, "Fundamentals & Concepts", examines the interaction between digital and sustainable transformation and shows how both can contribute to the so-called twin transformation. Prof Dr Daniel Schallmo and Daniel Jehle provide a theoretical foundation and empirical insights into the twin transition and propose an integrated approach. They also shed light on how digitalisation and sustainability are intertwined in organisational routines.
Second section: Strategies & drivers
The second section, "Strategies & Drivers", deals with the framework conditions for implementing the twin transformation and identifies barriers and enablers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also examines the role of institutional framework conditions and digital infrastructures for sustainable entrepreneurship and analyses how top management can act as a driver of digital and sustainable transformation.
Third section: Sectoral applications
The third section uses an umbrella review to show how the twin transformation can contribute to the development of a smart circular economy in industry. Luca Stegmann, Prof. Dr Andy Weeger and Prof. Dr Arne Buchwald from HNU discuss the importance of IT/OT integration in production companies to solve the so-called alignment problem. Other contributors will explain how digital transformation can act as a catalyst for sustainable healthcare systems and how digitalisation can create innovative, sustainable business models in the fashion industry.
Fourth section: Methodological approaches & future prospects
The fourth section of the special issue begins with a literature review that examines the relationship between the megatrends of digitalisation and sustainability and the role of artificial intelligence in this context. This is followed by an article that presents a data-driven approach to assessing the practical relevance of emerging fields of innovation. Finally, an outlook on future research perspectives on twin transformation is given, focussing in particular on the combination of digital and sustainable innovations.
"The articles impressively demonstrate how digital and sustainable innovations can be conceived and designed together," emphasises Prof. Dr Jens Kolb. "We hope that this issue will provide impetus for research, practice and politics."
The complete issue is freely accessible for a limited time at: https://www.worldscientific.com/toc/ijim/29/05n06 (opens in a new window)
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