Internationalization and Digitalization: Applying digital technologies to the internationalization process of small and medium-sized enterprises

摘要

Digitalization is playing an increasingly important role in the growth of firms and is leading to structural and strategic transformations. The use of digital technologies presents new opportunities for SMEs to expand and succeed in foreign markets. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the impact of digital technologies on the internationalization process of SMEs has been acknowledged in the literature. It offers an in-depth analysis of five of the most highly relevant recent scientific research papers. The findings are synthetized through key points that highlight how SMEs acting in foreign markets could benefit from digital technologies. This paper complements previous research on the international trade transition initiated by digital technologies and provides a new perspective on contemporary research regarding the internationalization of firms. It concludes by identifying implications for research by scholars seeking to further study the digital aspects of traditional theoretical models of internationalization.