The impact of digitalization and virtualization on technology transfer in strategic collaborative partnerships

Digitalization and virtualization are integral parts of today’s competitive and dynamic business environments. Yet very little is known about the impact of digitalization and virtualization on technology transfer in strategic collaborative partnerships. Therefore, examining the impact of digitalization and virtualization on technology transfer in strategic collaborative partnerships holds much potential for contributing to the ongoing discussions in the technology transfer literature. This introductory article to the Special Issue reflects on the contributions of the Special Issue articles to the research on technology transfer and reveals three central themes through which the articles as a whole contribute to research in technology transfer: Theme 1 describes the role of digitalization in technology transfer outcomes, Theme 2 focuses on extending the understanding of knowledge transfer capabilities to include digital and virtual capabilities, and Theme 3 illustrates how technology transfer facilitators and intermediaries continue to play an important role in technology transfer in the digital world. We conclude the introductory article by proposing four promising avenues for future research on technology transfer in the digital age. These include Avenue 1: Understanding context specificity and temporality, Avenue 2: Focusing on capabilities and government policy, Avenue 3: Bridging distance, and Avenue 4: Protecting against threats.