“Servitization, Digitalization and Scalability”

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “Servitization, Digitalization and Scalability”

Journal: Technological Forecasting and Social Change
Publisher: Elsevier
Submission deadline: 31 May 2026

Overview

Industrial firms often struggle to achieve the rapid, technology-driven growth seen in digital-native companies. This special issue investigates how manufacturers can overcome these scalability hurdles by integrating digital transformation with service-led growth strategies. The editors invite research that unpacks the organizational, technological, and strategic mechanisms—such as the sequencing of "digital servitization" versus "service digitalization"—that enable firms to scale their service operations effectively.

Key Research Themes

• Organizational Micro-foundations: Identifying the internal routines, leadership structures, and governance models that facilitate or constrain the transition from localized service offerings to scalable, technology-driven business models.

• Technological & Service Heterogeneity: Examining how specific digital technologies (e.g., AI, IoT, cloud, additive manufacturing) and varying service strategies (basic to advanced solutions) influence growth outcomes and sequencing.

• Performance Metrics: Analyzing the impact of servitization-led scalability on key financial and market indicators, including revenue growth, market share, and firm valuation.

• Contextual Dynamics: Investigating external factors such as industry-specific regulations, ecosystem collaborations, and the role of firm size and age in successful market adaptation.

Submission Details

• Submission window: 01 November 2025 – 31 May 2026.

• Submission portal: https://www2.cloud.editorialmanager.com/tfs/default2.aspx

• Special Instructions: Select article type “VSI: Servitization, Digitalization and Scalability” during submission. For proposals that deviate from these guidelines, contact the lead editor with a 500-word extended abstract.

Guest Editors

• Ferran Vendrell-Herrero, University of Edinburgh (fvendrel@ed.ac.uk)

• Christian Kowalkowski, Linköping University (christian.kowalkowski@liu.se)

• Jochen Wirtz, National University of Singapore (jochen@nus.edu.sg)

• Heiko Gebauer, Linköping University (heiko.gebauer@liu.se)

Why This Issue Matters

While research on digital servitization has flourished, it has largely focused on value creation or customer benefits rather than the fundamental mechanisms of scalability. By shifting the focus to how industrial firms can replicate and expand their business models at lower marginal costs, this issue addresses a critical gap in service-led growth theory. It offers a platform for synthesizing multidisciplinary research—spanning operations, strategy, and innovation—to provide actionable insights for firms navigating the "phygital" landscape.

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