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Navigating the ecosystem innovation: The impact of digital technology adoption in supply chain finance

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  • Wang, Liukai
  • Xie, Xinru
  • Kong, Xinyi
  • Xiong, Yu

Abstract

The rapid development of digital technology adoption has driven supply chain finance (SCF) to evolve into an interconnected SCF ecosystem, enabling new innovation capabilities. Grounded in the digital business ecosystem (DBE) framework and the foundational characteristics of SCF ecosystem, this study introduces SCF ecosystem health (SCFEH) as a novel lens for examining innovation within the SCF context. We integrate key drivers-digital transformation (DT) and supply chain learning (SCL)-into the SCFEH framework to explore their role in fostering innovation capabilities. Drawing on expert insights and an extensive literature review, we identified 33 measurement items: nine for DT, eleven for SCL, and thirteen for SCFEH. Data collected from 199 SCF-related firms were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to uncover these relationships. The results highlight that digital technology competency (DTC) and digital technology use (DTU) significantly enhance SCL performance in the SCF ecosystem. Both DTU and SCL directly contribute to SCFEH, while SCL mediates and strengthens the impact of DTU on SCFEH. These findings demonstrate how digital technology adoption enables innovation capabilities by promoting supply chain learning and ecosystem health. This study advances the SCF innovation literature by emphasizing the role of digital technology in driving ecosystem-based innovation and by offering actionable insights for firms seeking to enhance SCF management capabilities in the digital economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Liukai & Xie, Xinru & Kong, Xinyi & Xiong, Yu, 2026. "Navigating the ecosystem innovation: The impact of digital technology adoption in supply chain finance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:223:y:2026:i:c:s0040162525004809
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124449
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    References listed on IDEAS

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