Bridging conflicting frames in policies for digital transformation

Despite several policies aimed at igniting digital transformation, many regions lag behind. We investigate this discrepancy by postulating that the political consensus on accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption among micro-, small- and mid-sized enterprises (MSMEs) needs to consider the heterogeneity of entrepreneurial and social fabrics. Best practices in policy-making exist, but their deployment requires adaptations. The present paper delves into such adaptations and on the mechanics behind how a ‘model’ is modified locally. We do so by illustrating the results of action research on a regional policy initiative. Our findings point to one important set of factors and mechanisms conducive to the adaptation of a policy model to the peculiarities of a locale via the alignment of different cognitive frames: co-design processes. We elaborate on the role of different actors, the relevance of ‘hybrid’ actors, and the nature of universities as platforms