Session on understanding and applying digital transformation in SMEs, integrating strategy, innovation and sustainability to enable competitive growth.
On Tuesday, 10 March 2026, at 9:00, the University of Valencia, as a member of the FORTHEM Alliance of European Universities, offers this online workshop, conducted by PhD candidate Clara Sebastián, which aims to be a theoretical and practical roadmap for sustainable and competitive growth.
In an increasingly volatile, uncertain and hyperconnected environment, digital transformation is no longer a technological upgrade—it is a strategic imperative. This session is designed to provide doctoral students from all disciplines with a structured, evidence-based and practice-oriented guide to understanding and implementing digital transformation processes in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Conceptualize digital transformation from a multidisciplinary perspective.
- Distinguish between digitisation, digitalisation, and digital transformation.
- Understand the specific challenges and structural constraints faced by SMEs.
- Apply theoretical frameworks to real organizational contexts.
- Design a practical roadmap for digital transformation tailored to SME realities.
- Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and governance mechanisms to monitor progress.
- Integrate sustainability, innovation, and stakeholder engagement into digital strategies.
Theoretical Foundations
The session will begin by establishing a rigorous conceptual framework, covering:
- Digital Transformation as Organizational Change
- Socio-technical systems theory
- Dynamic capabilities perspective
- Resource-based view and digital assets
- Innovation ecosystems and open innovation
- SMEs as Distinct Organizational Forms
- Resource constraints
- Informal governance structures
- Proximity to stakeholders
- Flexibility versus vulnerability
- Strategic Dimensions of Digital Transformation
- Business model innovation
- Platformisation and network effects
- Data-driven decision-making
Special emphasis will be placed on how digital transformation intersects with sustainability and ESG frameworks, positioning digitalisation as a lever for long-term value creation rather than short-term efficiency gains.
Cross-Disciplinary Relevance
This session is designed to create value beyond business and economics. Doctoral candidates will gain:
- A structured understanding of how digital transformation affects research.
- Insight into collaborative innovation between academia and SMEs.
- Tools to translate research outputs into digitally enabled business solutions.
- Awareness of policy implications and regional development strategies.
Interactive Components
To foster engagement and applied learning, the session will include:
- A digital maturity self-assessment exercise.
- Group-based transformation design challenges.
- Discussion of sector-specific transformation barriers.
- Reflection on ethical implications of digitalisation (data governance, inclusion, AI bias).
Expected Outcomes
Participants will leave the session with:
- A consolidated conceptual framework.
- A practical transformation toolkit.
- A structured roadmap adaptable to diverse organizational contexts.
- Enhanced capacity to integrate digital strategy into their research and professional pathways.
Digital transformation is not solely about adopting new technologies; it is about rethinking how organizations create, deliver, and capture value in a digital society. For SMEs, this transition is both a risk and a strategic opportunity.
Who can participate?
The Workshop is open to Doctoral Students, Postdoctoral Researchers, and Junior Professors from any university of the FORTHEM Alliance up to 8 years after completing their PhD.
How to participate?
Register by filling the inscription form before 9 March 2026.
For any other questions or queries, please write to us at: ritforthem@uv.es
