The proposed study aims to investigate the digital transformation of Greek small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on their digital maturity and the strategic and organizational factors contributing to digital transformation. The research issue of digital transformation has been attracting considerable interest among academics and business practicians since COVID-19 accelerated the procedure of implementing Industry 4.0 principles all over global economies. Quantitative research on 147 Greek SMEs revealed the most important issues on how these businesses implement digital transformation, factors accelerating or decelerating the process, barriers and expected outcomes. The results indicate that digital maturity, digital transformation strategy and digital business models are strongly interconnected, while the main barriers of successfully implementing them is a lack of funding, cultural issues and the management’s engagement with the whole procedure. Greek SMEs are regarding digital transformation as a part of their customers’ satisfaction rather than as a holistic procedure of reshaping their operation. In almost 20% of Greek SMEs, there is no person who is responsible for the digital transformation procedure, while key drivers are suppliers and customers rather than competitors and the government. The results can be valuable for stakeholders who are enabled to the digital transformation process from both the business and academic points of view, while there exist aspects that can contribute to policy makers/motivation developers on the state’s level as well.

Digital transformation is crucial for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as it enhances organizational efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness by enabling process automation, cost reduction, and faster decision-making. It also allows for SMEs to leverage emerging technologies, improve customer engagement, and access new markets, thereby fostering innovation and sustainable growth. The proposed study aims to reveal the most significant aspects regarding the digital transformation in the SME business environment. Even though the concept of digital transformation has gained much research interest, SMEs still face significant obstacles, including limited financial resources, a shortage of skilled personnel, and resistance to change within organizational culture. A systematic literature review on the digital transformation of SMEs was conducted to reveal the enablers and obstacles encountered by these businesses in their pursuit of digital maturity. This review underscores the importance of human resources and digital maturity, emphasizing the need for a digitally skilled workforce and a culture of continuous learning. The results can enforce future research on this subject and could focus on the relationship between digital transformation and organizational performance, the role of digital entrepreneurship, and the long-term effects of digital transformation, providing valuable insights to help SMEs navigate the complexities of digital transformation and achieve sustainable growth.

Digital transformation has become a critical priority for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially after the pandemic crisis. Despite progress in upgrading their digital maturity, many SMEs still encounter significant challenges in designing and implementing effective digital transformation strategies. This study investigates the factors that shape SMEs’ digital transformation journeys and their digital maturity. A total of 81 academic papers were collected from three databases (ScienceDirect, EBSCO, Scopus) and analyzed using latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) after appropriate text cleaning and preprocessing. The analysis revealed nine key topics influencing SMEs: dynamic and digital capabilities, emerging tech adoption, strategic transformation intensity, digital processes implemented, extrovert opportunities, performance and capabilities, management’s transition to agile structures, digital vision and orientation, and human resources and digital maturity. These topics highlight the technological, organizational, and resource-related complexity of digital transformation for SMEs. The study contributes to existing research by offering a structured view of the digital transformation landscape in the SME ecosystem and proposes a roadmap to help firms navigate this complexity and enhance their performance and efficiency in the digital era.

Proposed study aims to investigate the digital transformation of Greek small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on their digital maturity and the strategic and organizational factors contributing to digital transformation. The research issue of digital transformation is attracting considerable interest among academics and business practicians since COVID-19 accelerated the procedure of implementing Industry’s 4.0 principles all over global economies. Quantitative research on 147 Greek SMEs revealed most important issues on how these businesses implement digital transformation, factors accelerating or decelerating the process, barriers and expected outcomes. Research enlights how SMEs face the transition to digital business and reveals the factors that can facilitate the whole process. Results can be valuable for stakeholders enabled to digital transformation process from both business and academic point of view, while there exist aspects that can contribute to policy makers / motivation developers in state’s level as well.

Entrepreneurship education programs have gained popularity in the last 20 years as they have the potential to encourage entrepreneurial abilities and mindsets. Despite the increasing number of these programs offered worldwide, their effectiveness remains to be determined. Research has produced mixed outcomes, and there needs to be a consensus on the definition of entrepreneurship education in incubators or the outcomes of such courses. The perception of business incubators has evolved to become supportive settings for new business ventures and aspiring entrepreneurs. They are considered the future training grounds for entrepreneurship and experimental hubs for learning. Nevertheless, the degree to which they enhance business performance is debatable, and research into their outcomes needs to be more varied and largely inconclusive. The research methodology employed in this study is quantitative and involves a questionnaire. The sample consists of 112 start-ups and visionary entrepreneurs that have participated in entrepreneurship education programs offered by the incubators in Greece, and 21 business incubators. The results of the study show that entrepreneurship education programs have the potential to enhance specific skills and attitudes in participants that could be advantageous in the long run. While the research does not provide conclusive evidence, it does demonstrate promising correlations. Therefore, although business incubator-based entrepreneurship education programs in Greece may not immediately impact start-ups, they could be advantageous in the future.