The relationship between digital technologies and innovation: A review, critique, and research agenda

Digital technologies have resulted in innovations transforming knowledge-based economic development on a global scale. In this article, we provide a systematic literature review of the relationship between digital technologies and innovation. Drawing on the extant literature, we investigate 685 articles published in 41 journals during the period 1997–2023. We present the current state of different types of articles and theoretical perspectives applied to the existing research. Based on topic modeling analyses and interpretations to existing work, we develop a meta framework that distinguishes between the direct and indirect effects of digital technologies and consider four different levels of potential heterogeneity of innovation. Finally, we propose an agenda emphasizing research avenues for future research on digital technologies and innovation.