2. Digital adoption in SMEs
2.1 Evidence from the literature
This chapter examines how small and medium enterprises in the region have adopted digital tools, and what the published evidence says about the results.
Digital adoption among small and medium enterprises accelerated after 2020, yet the gains remain uneven across sectors [12]. Firms that moved early to cloud-based tools report faster order processing and a wider export reach, while those relying on informal channels have seen little change [7]. These patterns point to access to skills and finance, rather than technology itself, as the binding constraint.