Editorial: Digital transformation, innovation ecosystems and sustainability: some insights from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), India, Iraq and Jordan

What the paper says

To increase competitiveness, leadership and inclusiveness, countries and regions are designing strategic visions, plans and funding programmes to invest in key pillars for accelerating the twin green and digital transition.The European Union launched “Horizon Europe” (2021–2027), the strategic funding programme for research and innovation of the European Union. Cluster 4 of Horizon Europe includes Digital, Industry and Space (European Commission, 2024, 2025a). The aim of sub cluster Digital is “development of key digital technologies, supporting a green and digital transformation as well as a human-centred ethical development of emerging digital technologies for competitiveness and the European Green Deal” (European Commission, 2025b). Digital covers the following areas: “manufacturing technologies, key digital technologies including quantum technologies, emerging enabling technologies advanced materials, artificial intelligence and robotics, next generation internet, advanced computing and Big Data, circular industries, low carbon and clean industries and space including earth observation” (European Commission, 2025c).In the case of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the case of Kuwait is particularly interesting. Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait” states that “transforming Kuwait into a financial and trade hub regionally and internationally and becoming more attractive to investors. Where the private sector leads the economy, creating competition and promoting production efficiency. Under the umbrella of a supporting institutional body, which accentuates national values, preserves social identity and achieve social development” (Ministry of Foreign Affair. State of Kuwait, 2025).To tackle global challenges, increase competitiveness, create new jobs and build fairer societies, nations and companies must grasp the potential of new and emerging digital tools. Investing in digital technologies and strategic human capital is crucial to build competitive and sustainable economies (Alshawaaf and Alzougool, 2025; Ellström et al., 2022; Lytras and Ordóñez de Pablos, 2008; Ordóñez de Pablos, 2004; Qureshi, 2023; Sammut et al., 2024; Setiawan et al., 2025; Zhang et al., 2012).In this first issue of 2026, we will explore how companies use advanced digital tools to offer innovative solutions, increase competitiveness and shape the path for more inclusive economies and societies. The issue will illustrate cases from GCC, India, Iraq and Jordan.Issue 1 of Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management presents a special section on Kuwait and a collection of four regular papers.The special section “Sustainability, Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Smart Cities Research in Kuwait: Visioning Kuwait 2040” presents a collection of four papers that explore strategic topics for the vision Kuwait 2040 and boost dialogue on digital transformation, innovation, smart cities and sustainability in Kuwait. It aims to foster dialogue on key issues for creating a more resilient and competitive economy in Kuwait. It will stimulate discussion on how game-changing digital innovations can help to achieve its national priorities and modernize its economy, generate new jobs and increase prosperity in Kuwait and Gulf Region.The first paper titled “Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity within a social media context: implications and insights for Kuwait” (by Alrabea, Alsaffar, Alsafran, Alsaber, Almutairi, Al-Saeed and Mohammad Alkandari) explores “the ever-changing environment of online social networks (OSNs) and technology. The main goals are to classify cyberattacks into categories like malware, phishing/spam and network intrusion detection; to identify efficient algorithms for preventing cyber threats; to review relevant literature from 2019 to 2020; and to use machine learning algorithms to detect suspicious behavior related to malware. The study offers a novel framework that suggests particular machine learning algorithms for every kind of cyber threat, hence improving cybersecurity knowledge and reaction capacities. This makes the research useful for examining the impact of cybersecurity on smart cities. Thirty papers have been examined on AI and machine learning algorithms, including K-nearest-neighbor (KNN), convolutional neural networks (CNN) and Random Forest (RF), that were published in 2019 and 2020. Using analytical software (NVivo), a qualitative approach is used to retrieve pertinent data from the chosen research. The researchers divide cyberattacks into three groups: network intrusion detection, phishing/spam and malware. The study’s conclusions center on how AI and machine learning algorithms linked to cybersecurity are reviewed in the literature, how cyberattacks are classified and how an inventive framework for identifying and reducing risks is proposed. This makes the research useful for researching the implications of cybersecurity for smart cities”.The second paper titled “Islamic finance as a driver for enhancing economic sustainability and innovation in the GCC” (by Alhammadi) explores “the role of Islamic finance in supporting sustainable economic growth, innovation and digital transformation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Amid global challenges like the Russia–Ukraine conflict and COVID-19, the focus extends beyond the GCC’s oil dependency to explore how Islamic finance can enable technological advancements and foster a digitally innovative economy. The research aims to reveal the potential of Islamic finance in driving economic diversification, technological progress and sustainable development in the GCC. Using a content analysis approach, this study critically examines the economic repercussions of recent global crises, shedding light on how Islamic finance contributes to socio-economic justice and the provision of social goods in the GCC. The research synthesises findings from various secondary sources, including academic literature, reports and industry standards, to analyse Islamic finance’s role from an ethical and strategic perspective within the GCC’s evolving economic landscape. The findings reveal Islamic finance’s potential to significantly contribute to the GCC’s economic diversification and resilience against global economic downturns. The study highlights how Islamic finance aligns with the sustainable development goals and its effectiveness in promoting ethical financial practices and socio-economic justice”.The third paper titled “Digital transformation on the design and implementation of virtual political campaigns in Kuwait: perceptions and attitudes of politicians and campaign managers for bold innovation and social impact in Kuwait” (by Alhaimer) studies “the perceptions of political figures and campaign strategists in Kuwait regarding the adoption of virtual political campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic. By using an enhanced version of the technology acceptance model (TAM), it seeks to understand and quantify their attitudes toward these digital campaign methods. This study can be considered as a bold contribution to the discussion on digital transformation of virtual channels for the promotion of bold innovation and social impact in Kuwait. Data was gathered from 82 participants, comprising 47 politicians and 35 campaign managers in Kuwait. A comprehensive method involving both questionnaires and face-to-face interactions was implemented to ensure a thorough collection of relevant data, aiming to support the research’s objectives effectively. The results underscore the significant influence of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and the newly integrated factor of perceived convenience on the attitudes toward virtual political campaigns. These factors collectively shape the willingness and approach of political entities in embracing digital campaigning avenues. The findings also indicate that digital transformation in the design and implementation of virtual campaigns can be grounded on positive attitudes and perceptions”.The fourth paper titled “Sustainable smart cities: promotion of circular economy in urban GCC regions” (by Sumra, Siddique, Afzal and Qazi) studies the “need to adopt circular economy models in the urban development and infrastructure of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The purpose is to provide insights into the progress, challenges and potential benefits of transitioning from a linear to a circular economic model in response to the environmental challenges posed by rapid economic development and population growth in the GCC region. The study emphasizes the relevance of this research in fostering economic diversification, mitigating ecological concerns and attracting sustainable investments. The study adopts a qualitative approach to investigate the adoption of circular economy principles in each GCC country’s urban development and infrastructure. It details the specific strategies and initiatives undertaken by Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The research methodology includes a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), thematic, comparative and individual analysis of their goals, progress and the unique approaches employed. Additionally, a SWOT analysis is conducted to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with adopting circular economy models in the GCC region. The case studies reveal each GCC country’s diverse approaches and progress in adopting circular economy models. Bahrain aims for carbon neutrality by 2060, Kuwait prioritizes sustainability in urban development, Oman focuses on waste reduction, Qatar integrates circular economy principles into its Vision 2030 initiative and Saudi Arabia explores closed-loop material flows. Whereas, the UAE focuses on infrastructure development with unique technological advancements in the near future. Despite common challenges such as traditional linear models and economic obstacles, the benefits of transitioning to circular economies in the GCC region are substantial. These include social, environmental and economic advantages, emphasizing sustainable growth, resource efficiency and enhanced environmental protection”.With regards to the rest of the papers for this regular issue, the paper titled “Modeling of barriers to digital transformations in Indian manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises” (by Borana, Gaur and Yadav) states that “in recent times, digital transformation (DT) has witnessed a surge in popularity, not only within large enterprises (LEs) but also among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Various sectors, including manufacturing, have shown a keen interest in embracing DT for their operational and supply chain needs. Beyond delivering benefits such as improved product quality, revenue growth, enhanced customer service and heightened safety measures, DT offers a range of advantages, including heightened productivity, risk mitigation and environmental protection. However, in developing countries like India, manufacturing SMEs encounter significant challenges when attempting to embrace DT. Therefore, this study aims to identify and model the obstacles that impede DT adoption within the context of Indian manufacturing SMEs. The literature review was used to pinpoint the barriers to adopting DT. Subsequently, these identified barriers underwent validation within the specific context of Indian manufacturing SMEs through the assessment of an expert team. The expert team proceeded to model these barriers using the interpretive structural modeling approach. This study shows that high investment, return on investment and multiskilled workforces are the most crucial barriers to DT adoption. The proposed study aids policy and decision-makers in identifying the connections and dependencies between the barriers”.The paper titled “Intersection of generative artificial intelligence and copyright: An Indian perspective” (by Vig) discusses “a compact overview analysis of intellectual property laws, specifically copyright-related provisions applicable to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the Indian context. The paper adopts a qualitative research methodology that is grounded in secondary sources of information. The data were gathered from the Scopus database for a systematic literature review. GenAI technology has given rise to numerous questionable issues within the domain of intellectual property that need resolution in the form of policy solutions. Based on the findings of this paper, it can be deduced that Indian copyright laws are not adequate for addressing the rights pertaining to AI and its creations and outputs. Different countries like the USA, European Union and China have approached the regulation and protection of AI-generated content within the realm of copyright law in different ways. The future of law, as it has been established thus far, seems to be on a path of substantial evolution”.The paper titled “How information technology resources enhance absorptive capacity and individual ambidexterity: the moderating role of social interaction” (by Al-Husseni) states that “ambidexterity has become essential for organisations to remain competitive. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the causal relationships among information technology resources, absorptive capacity and individual ambidexterity. Further, this study examines the moderating role of social interaction in the absorptive capacity–individual ambidexterity relationship. A quantitative approach was used in this study through analysis of survey data from 475 employees in the Iraqi telecommunications sector. Structural equation modelling with AMOS was used to test the proposed hypotheses. This study noted a positive relationship among information technology resources, absorptive capacity and individual ambidexterity. The results of this study also showed that individuals with a higher degree of social interaction were more likely to strengthen the association between absorptive capacity and individual ambidexterity. The results indicate that managers should pay attention to the important relationship between IT resources, absorptive capacity and individual ambidexterity in the Iraqi telecommunications firms. It is also suggested to design strategies to promote social interaction among their employees and facilitate cooperation and information transfer”.Finally the last paper, titled “A two-model integrated technology adoption framework for using blockchain in supply chain management: attitude towards blockchain as a mediator” (by Jum’a, Mansour, Zimon and Madzík), explores “the intention to use blockchain technology (BT) in the context of supply chain (SC) operations through an integrated technology adoption framework using two well-known models, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and the technology acceptance model (TAM). Moreover, the study looked at the direct effect of TAM and UTAUT elements on attitude toward BT, as well as the role of attitude toward BT as a mediator between TAM and UTAUT elements and intention to use BT. The study used a quantitative research method, and a structured questionnaire was used to gather primary data. The final sample, drawn using a convenience sampling that consisted of 273 managers from the Jordanian manufacturing sector. Structural equation modeling statistical method was conducted using the Smart PLS program to test hypotheses in the proposed study framework. The study has provided intriguing results. It found that two UTAUT elements, namely performance expectancy and social influence and one TAM element, namely perceived usefulness, have a significant impact on the attitude toward BT. Besides that, the study found that attitude toward BT significantly mediated the relationship between UTAUT-TAM elements and intention to use BT. The findings revealed that three elements namely performance expectancy, social influence and perceived usefulness have statistical significance on intention to use BT through the mediation of attitude. Finally, there is a direct significant positive relationship between the attitude toward BT and intention to use it”.