Abstract This study explores the way digital transformation relates to business model innovation by using a bibliometric analysis. The goal is to trace the development of the field and clarify its underlying theoretical foundations and emerging research themes. It is based on 164 publications from the Web of Science core collection spanning 2017 to 2024. Utilizing VOSviewer and SCImago Graphica for data visualization, the analysis identifies publication trends, influential authors, leading journals and institutions, and the geographic distribution of research outputs. The findings reveal a significant increase in publications after 2020, with 64.02 % of the studies related to these two key concepts indexed in the SSCI. Despite the rapid growth of digital transformation and business model innovation research, existing reviews lack a coherent synthesis of their intersection, a methodologically unified understanding of enterprise adaptation across contexts, and an up-to-date bibliometric review based on consistently curated datasets. Addressing these gaps, this study identifies 7 stable thematic clusters using a transparent, PRISMA-guided bibliometric mapping approach with VOSviewer and SCImago Graphica, and reveals emerging themes that offer actionable insights for academics, practitioners, consultants, and policy makers.
Shao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.