Chapter 16: Harnessing Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies for Disruptive Innovation: The Mediating Power of Digital Transformation in the UAE Food Manufacturing Sector

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies on disruptive innovation in the context of the food manufacturing industry in the UAE while focusing on the digital transformation as a mediator. Based on the primary data accumulated at different firms in the food manufacturing industry, the study examines how innovations, including artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and automation, affect the innovations processes and effects. The results show that 4IR technologies improve disruptive innovation by a large extent and digital transformation plays a critical role of bridging the gap between the technologies and organisational practice. The findings of the present study have practical implications for accepting the 4IR technologies and the timely development of effective and holistic digital transformation strategy capable of spurring innovation in the field of food manufacturing industry. Furthermore, this research offers novelty to the existing literature by offering UAE-specific insights to explain what challenges and opportunities exist in this part of the world and how digitalisation can boost the impact of new technologies on innovation.