Digital innovation has long been a subject of great attention for the political agenda and debate for many key sectors of the economy. But while policy makers and business decision makers ask themselves questions about how to include mobile devices, digital platforms, the cloud, big data, cyber security, Blockchain etc. in their strategies, often their answers are limited to considering the impact of each single technology only on some aspects of the radical mutation taking place. What is missing, still too frequently, is instead a broader awareness of the mega-transition underway and of how this is profoundly changing many social and business dynamics; a transformation of which mobility, social media, cloud and big data are just some of the many manifestations.

Completing this transition requires a completely new approach, that is, a mindset. Because even if millions of euros are spent on new technologies, this will not automatically transform us into agents of change if another essential ingredient of innovation is lacking: entrepreneurship. Yes, there are two key elements that need to be combined: digital know-how and entrepreneurial courage.

In the digital age, entrepreneurship is now more in demand than ever. However, it’s not enough to hold online meetings, have paperless offices, or be featured on social media to be called a digital entrepreneur. Instead, a systemic approach is required that embraces the complexity of an organization, “thinking digitally” therefore means integrating the processes enabled by technology at all levels. Data, competence, strategy and digital mindset are the elements of success that lead to new market opportunities and business models through the intelligent combination of operational performance and service delivery.

Digital Entrepreneurship, Management, Systems and Practice (Cambridge University Press editions) is my latest essay, released these days