How can SMEs scale globally by mastering Tech-Enabled Growth?

The title of this article reflects the essential argument of a panel within the entrepreneurs' portfolio at AIM Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi.

It is well-known that SMEs play a vital role in the global economy, contributing up to 70% to employment and comprising approximately 90% of businesses globally. To reach global markets, SMEs' resources and capabilities play a pivotal role. However, SMEs still face barriers such as limited financial and human resources (which also impact their R&D), scarce knowledge to protect their intellectual property, information search problems, lack of assistance with legislative complexity, inadequate access to essential infrastructure, and often the absence of long-term vision and strategies for data management, privacy protection, and cybersecurity—all of which limit their access to global markets. Therefore, a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem is needed to facilitate collaboration, networking, and SME support.

In fact, supportive ecosystems, including government initiatives and mentorship programs, play a vital role in fostering SMEs' ability to strengthen their position and scale within global markets. These ecosystems should enable SMEs to undertake R&D and pursue incremental and radical innovations, thereby fostering their competitiveness and global scaling, which is crucial for their long-term success. Furthermore, key scaling strategies emphasize innovation, digital transformation, and access to finance.

Empirical studies highlighted the critical role of innovation and technology in the global scaling of SMEs. In addition, streamlining operations and enhancing customer engagement have become increasingly essential for SMEs to scale effectively across borders. SMEs possess an inherent flexibility that allows them to adapt and introduce services and products targeted at specific population segments. This can enhance export competitiveness and shape international business trends, unlocking significant economic returns.


Over the last decade, digital technologies, particularly the developments in AI, have been disruptive, fundamentally altering the landscape of international business and dramatically changing strategies and procedures. They exert a substantial influence on SMEs' capacity to engage in global operations, generate and distribute value, optimize internationalization strategies, improve product and service offerings, reconfigure resource allocation, and cultivate entrepreneurial dynamism and business innovation within global markets.

Digital technologies comprise a diverse array of concepts and platforms, such as the Internet of Things, big data analytics, blockchain technology, e-commerce platforms, cloud-based services, artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, and technology ecosystems.

These digital ecosystems, a prime example of an innovation ecosystem that welcomes dreamers, supports risk-takers, and rewards purposeful builders, have transformed the movement of goods and knowledge across international boundaries. Digital technologies have permeated both traditional and innovative industries, including sectors historically marked by limited technological investment. Furthermore, these technologies play a crucial role in helping small businesses and entrepreneurs identify and develop new business prospects in dynamic marketplaces, and foster internationalization through business model innovation, enabling global scaling. Of course, challenges arise concerning the relationship between digital technologies and the successful internationalization of SMEs.

These challenges frequently arise from infrastructural limitations, encompassing both hard infrastructure (such as investments in websites, traditional technology, and information technology) and soft infrastructure (such as organizational capacity and staff expertise), and are further exacerbated when employees lack the requisite skills and resources to address the challenges of digital transformation.

Digital platforms, in particular, are important for mastering tech-enabled growth of global SMEs. They tend to generate strong network effects, as their attractiveness increases with a larger user base. This creates the opportunity for established digital platform firms to offer incumbent producers access to customers beyond their existing distribution systems. The digital platform’s ability to reach new customers can be further enhanced by its capacity to "know" the customer through the collection and processing of data about their purchasing preferences. This is exemplified by Amazon's shopping platform, which has provided an expanded retail channel for a wide variety of physical goods.

To develop globally, SMEs necessitate adaptation and cultural awareness, as well as digital marketing strategies to reach global audiences, the implementation of appropriate communication tools, and the utilization of data analytics to track performance. Particular attention should be also paid by SMEs to efficient communication strategies and the development of networks. Although e-commerce platforms, email marketing platforms, communication tools, and accounting software are important tools, leadership provides guidance in these matters. In other, words, entering a new market, especially one culturally different, the primary point is to focus on leadership and its ability to understand, communicate, and adapt to the new markets. At the same time, it is important building trust, and create connections. Product are also important but is essential how to communicate the product value. Team is key as well. Pricing and distribution, though important, are often secondary to establishing a connection and understanding with the target audience.

In conclusion, there are structural factors that can help companies to become global, and these can be broadly categorized into external and internal (firm-specific) elements. The former factors include global economic growth, trade liberalization and reduced trade barriers, and institutional frameworks such as reliable legal systems, protection of intellectual property rights, and trade agreements. Of course, the global innovation ecosystem plays a critical role, as well as the availability of international talent.

Regarding internal (firm-specific) factors, the global innovation ecosystem also plays a critical role, as well as the availability of international talent. However, SMEs frequently encounter constraints in financial, human, and technological resources, which impedes their investment in international expansion. A lack of innovation, adaptability, and the ability to exploit technology is also common. Moreover, existing weak management capabilities, particularly a deficiency in leadership with an international vision, present a significant challenge. Lastly, SMEs often lack adequate knowledge and well-established international networks. Therefore, SMEs’ global scalability is significantly influenced by a complex interplay of international and domestic structural factors.