This study explores the evolving intersection of intellectual capital (IC), knowledge management (KM) and digitalization by comparing research trends across general and national-level discourses. It addresses a key gap by analyzing how these constructs align or diverge in scholarly and policy-oriented contexts, offering insights into their combined role in national innovation and performance strategies.
A bibliometric analysis of 1,072 peer-reviewed publications (2000–2024) from Scopus was conducted using co-citation mapping, thematic and factorial analysis, bibliographic coupling, trend topic analysis and annual output tracking. To enrich interpretation and connect abstract patterns to practice, six illustrative case studies, three national and three organizational, were included, based on publicly available and peer-reviewed sources.
National-level research has increasingly focused on digital governance, public sector innovation and strategic knowledge systems, particularly since 2016. General research highlights broader themes such as artificial intelligence, innovation ecosystems and sustainability. Case studies support these trends but also reveal gaps in integration, especially in aligning relational capital, public–private knowledge networks and policy design. Overall, the findings emphasize that intellectual capital (IC), knowledge management (KM) and digitalization constitute a co-evolving triad that is essential for academic inquiry and national development.
This is the first study to provide a dual-front bibliometric comparison of IC, KM and digitalization, supported by targeted conceptual case illustrations. It advances theory by identifying integration gaps and offering a triadic interpretive model linking national and organizational levels. Combining large-scale mapping with contextual insight, the study contributes a novel perspective to knowledge-based development research.
