Digital Transformation for Sustainable Business Operations: Technologies, Challenges, and Opportunities with Bibliometric and Content Analysis for Future Research Agenda.

This study investigates the evolving landscape of digital transformation for sustainable business operations through a bibliometric and content analysis, aiming to uncover key technologies, challenges, and research opportunities in this interdisciplinary field. Utilizing data from the Scopus database from 2016 to 2025, the research employs descriptive and network analysis methods using VOSviewer to explore publication trends, top contributors, co-authorship networks, and thematic clusters. The findings reveal a significant increase in academic interest, particularly from 2020 onwards, driven by integrating digital tools such as artificial intelligence, big data, IoT, and blockchain in advancing sustainability goals. Notably, China, Italy, and the United Kingdom are identified as leading contributors, while institutions from developed and emerging economies demonstrate active involvement. Co-word analysis highlights dominant themes like digital transformation, sustainability, Industry 4.0, circular economy, and green innovation. The study also shows that digitally enabled sustainable practices enhance operational efficiency, supply chain transparency, and stakeholder trust. Based on content analysis of highly cited articles, the research suggests that digital transformation improves corporate performance and addresses environmental and social challenges. Recommendations include prioritizing cross-sectoral collaboration, developing integrated digital-sustainability frameworks, and fostering digital capacity-building in developing regions. However, the study is limited by its reliance on the Scopus database, potential language bias due to English-only sources, and the exclusion of grey literature, which may overlook regional or non-traditional contributions. Future research should extend the analysis to other databases, include non-English literature, and explore the long-term impact of digital transformation on sustainability outcomes across diverse organizational contexts.