Digital Competence Development Among University Lecturers: A Bibliometric Mapping of Research Trends (2010–2026)

The new requirements arising from digital transformation and generative artificial intelligence necessitate a reassessment of state-of-the-art research in digital competence. This bibliometric review synthesised literature on the topic of digital competence development among university lecturers, published from 2010 to May 2026. A total of 159 publications were included from an initial 746 records retrieved from the Scopus database. The search was conducted on 17 May 2026 using keyword combinations related to digital competence, competence development, academic staff, and higher education. Deduplication of search results, followed by title and abstract screening by two independent researchers, resulted in the exclusion of irrelevant records from further consideration. Performance analysis and science mapping were conducted using Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Publications increased from 18 in 2023 to 60 in 2025. The corpus received a total of 1826 citations, with an average of 11.48 citations per publication. The most cited article addressed educators’ preparedness for generative artificial intelligence (AI) (230 citations). Spain led publication output with 23 publications, followed by China with 19 and Indonesia with 12. The largest collaboration component connected 34 countries and territories. The author–keyword network comprised 88 keywords distributed across 5 clusters. Thematic mapping identified three basic clusters concerning competence, professional development, and technology-supported teaching and access. Across the three periods analysed, higher education and digital literacy remained persistent themes, while related topics evolved over time. These findings emphasise the need to embed professional learning within institutional strategies to connect individual capabilities, pedagogical practice, and responsible AI use. Future research should evaluate these connections through observed teaching practices and learner outcomes.