Adopting Digital Technologies: The Path for SMEs

Given that Canadian SMEs are significant drivers of the economy, boosting productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will play a substantial role in growing the Canadian economy. Productivity is essentially tied to incorporating new technologies into practices that enable greater international competitiveness. Boosting productivity will require changes in our approach to innovation and competitiveness, including digital technology adoption. Despite the benefits to productivity, SMEs are slow to take the essential leap and invest in adopting new technologies. This briefing addresses the issue of digital technology adoption for SMEs. It examines lessons learned and identifies best practices of SMEs that have already gone through the process of adopting technologies. It also identifies barriers to digital technology adoption for SMEs. Research included input from a one-day workshop for SMEs and a collection of interviews with SMEs who are interested in digital technology adoption or who have recently undergone the process.