DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN FOOD SMES: THE IMPACT ON BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION AND INTERNATIONALISATION

The present study examines the impact of digital transformation on business model innovation (with a focus on the customer value creation and co-creation) and internationalization in the context of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) operating in the food industry. The study tries to answer the following research questions: 1) How is the digital transformation changing the consumer value creation and the co-creation process of SMEs operating in the food industry? 2) How is the digital transformation changing the internationalisation strategies of SMEs operating in the food industry? To answer these research questions, we present a multiple case study research on the digital transformation of three Italian food SMEs. We found that for all the selected SMEs digital instruments contribute to innovate their business model, creating new distribution channels and new ways to create (co-create) and deliver value to customer segments; moreover, the use in particular of social media becomes one of the most important drivers and the “prerequisite” for internationalisation. Our study contributes to the existing literature on business model and digital transformation for this type of SMEs, providing also insights for the internationalisation literature. In addition to the theoretical implications, this study provides some managerial implications to accomplish the digital transformation of SMEs operating in the food industry.