Digitalization supporting the circular transition. The mediated role of dynamic capabilities

Alberto Urueña 
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain

From February 2022, researchers from POLIMI, the UPM and KTH have conducted a comprehensive empirical investigation of the relationship between the adoption of digital technologies, digital-enabled dynamic capabilities and the implementation of circular economy practices.

The results of the investigation provided interesting food for thought for practitioners and academics to properly understand the dynamics between the three concepts.
Particularly, the insights offered can help to understand how to properly exploit digital-enabled dynamic capabilities to support the implementation of the circular economy transition in the industrial context especially identifying:

(i) the digital technologies with the highest potential to contribute to the circular economy practices implementation;
(ii) the digital-enabled dynamic capabilities and their mediating role between the adoption of digital technologies and implementation of circular economy practices;
(iii) the role of contextual factors in influencing said relationship.

The results obtained offered interesting insights for practitioners, academics, and policymakers as well, while also paving the way for future research by identifying uncovered research areas and aspects that still need further clarification to properly exploit DTs for the implementation of the circular economy.

Alberto Urueña has a PhD in Economics and Innovation Management at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), an Executive MBA at IE Business School. He is currently associate professor at the School of Industrial Engineering at UPM. In the last twenty years Alberto has directed a wide variety of studies, reports and publications in the National Observatory of Digital Transformation, the center of the Spanish Government in charge of monitoring the state and progress of digital transformation. He has also published in impact scientific journals (Technological Forecasting and Social Change, International Journal of Information Management, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Risk Research and Social Science Computer Review, among others).
Alberto’s research is oriented to the sociotechnical impact on society of digital transformation. His doctoral thesis was awarded in 2014 as the best thesis in economics, management and regulation in digital transformation (Official College of Telecommunications Engineers, Spain). Alberto has strong experience in data collection, questionnaire drafting, surveying techniques and  quantitative analysis techniques in digital areas. His experience, which combines academic research and analysis of real cases of companies facing it projects, has allowed him to apply models and theories from the scientific field to practical real cases, which has allowed him to act as a consultant for companies in process of digital transformation.

Please click here to register