Digital Economy and Digital Transformation

The chapter's main objective is to analyze the digital economy and its characteristics. In a time of overlapping disruptions, the chapter describes the fast growth of the digital environment, the emergence of digital platforms, the diffusion of innovative digital technologies, and the related development of Industry 4.0, acknowledging the need to embrace ideas and concepts from multiple fields and integrate different research areas. The other related theme is digital transformation, which implies a structural change of the economies and organizations requiring a technological and cultural shift. In addition, the chapter's analysis highlights that digital transformation and its profound changes can generate imbalances if not addressed with awareness and the right mastery of digital skills. Reaping the digital revolution's benefits, and avoiding its pitfalls, will require organizations and economies to manage an unprecedented structural transformation for which the world seems still unprepared.