Digital Transformation refers to all changes in organizational activities and processes, business environment, and competitive scenario for the definition of new business models, strategies, and capabilities enabled by digital technologies (Vial, 2019; Papa et al., 2020; Sousa-Zomer et al., 2020; Del Giudice et al., 2021; Centobelli et al., 2022; Li et al., 2022; Cerchione et al., 2023). Scientific literature demonstrated how these transformations include multi-faced drivers that involve firms-specific characteristics, context, and technological aspects, but the importance of a reconfiguration of existing organizations, in terms of new skills, IT capabilities, business models, and routines to adapt to technological changes for digital disruption (Mele et al., 2023). The relationship between technology, human resources, capabilities, innovation and organizational performance is also recognized (Marchiori et al. 2022).
As a disruptive process in which organizations change value-creating processes by adopting digital technologies in response to changes in the business environment (Vial, 2019), digital transformation boosts innovation by refreshing products and services, renewing the organizational structure and business model, and ensuring their survival in the long term (Savino, et al., 2017; Agostini et al., 2020; Corvello, et al., 2023). In the meantime, it requires new knowledge and skills, new forms and locus of collaboration within the organizations and across industries, and leads to sustainable use of organizational resources (Tabrizi et al., 2019; Secundo et al., 2022).
Among the different digital technologies available, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has garnered significant attention in recent years (Waller and Fawcett, 2013; Chen and Zhang, 2014; Sivarajah et al., 2017; Delen and Zolbanin, 2018; Cavalcante et al., 2019; Dwivedi et al., 2019). AI represents an innovative technology with immense potential to transform the marketplace, business processes, and entrepreneurial ventures (Le Dinh, Vu, & Ayayi, 2018; von Briel et al., 2018; Verma et al., 2021). Its influence extends across both professional and personal domains. Abou-Foul et al. (2023) suggest that advancing capabilities required by the AI technologies foster the development of competencies like absorption and agility, recognized as dynamic capabilities, which play a pivotal role in shaping organizational performance. Key aspects such as organizational change, enhancement of individual skills, and the active engagement of entrepreneurs and managers in facilitating and sustaining digital transitions are crucial (Matarazzo et al., 2021). AI plays a crucial role in accelerating data collection, market sensing, market analysis, market positioning, targeting, and managing entrepreneurial activities and engagements (Loebbecke and Picot, 2015). Moreover, AI significantly impacts the strategic implications of organizations by transforming and innovating (new) business models. Loebbecke and Picot (2015) and Agrawal et al. (2018) note that AI influences organizational business models across all levels by offering support, assistance, and driving functionalities. In this era of transformation, enterprises are compelled to perpetually enhance their competencies and skills through the absorption, generation, and management of new knowledge, to gain and sustain a competitive advantage (Ghasemzadeh et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2013) as well as to achieve sustainable growth (Savino, et al., 2017; Agostini et al., 2020; Corvello, et al., 2023).
This track proposal aims to contribute on the scientific debate in the field of AI and emerging technologies for value creation in service-based industries. We invite competitive and work-in-progress papers and cases focused on the research fields above described.

Contributions are invited to address – amongst others – the following questions:

• How AI and emerging technologies impact on value creation process in service-based industries?
• How AI impact on the development of digital and dynamic capabilities for competitive and sustainable advantage?
• What are the enabling conditions that sustain AI-based dynamic capabilities development?
• How to define AI-based capabilities for digital transformation?
• What is the role of entrepreneurial orientation to sustain a development of dynamic capabilities in digital era?

Pasquale Del Vecchio, University LUM Giuseppe Degennaro, Italy
Valentina Ndou, University of Salento, Italy
Roberto Cerchione, University of Naples Parthenope, Italy
Giuseppina Passiante, University of Salento, Italy
Gioconda Mele, University of Salento, Italy