Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy

All prospective authors, and especially participants in ICDEc and all members of the ICDEc community, are invited to submit their papers to the Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy for a special issue on “Digital Economy Transformation: AI, Data, and Integrated Systems”. The Journal is indexed by Web of Science and Scopus and rated Q2 by the SCImago Journal Rank.

This special issue is edited in collaboration with the chairs of the eleventh edition of the International Conference on Digital Economy (ICDEc 2026, May 14–16, 2026, Tallinn, Estonia). The editors invite the community of researchers from Computer Science, Management, Economics and Social Science fields to submit papers that discuss issues related to the special issue scope.

After doubly-anonymous peer review, papers accepted for this special issue will be published in the Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy in March 2027.

Scope
This Special Issue focuses on the transformation of the digital economy driven by artificial intelligence, data-centric technologies, and integrated systems. It addresses technological, organizational, and societal dimensions of digital transformation across a wide range of domains, including but not limited to education, healthcare, public sector, industry, finance, and the broader economy.

Focus Areas
1. Artificial Intelligence and Data-Driven Technologies
Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Models (LLMs)
Machine learning and deep learning
Data engineering and data science
Knowledge discovery and intelligent analytics
Semantic interoperability and knowledge representation
2. Systems and Integration
Systems integration and interoperability
Distributed and cloud-based architectures
Platform ecosystems and digital infrastructures
Internet of Things (IoT) and cyber-physical systems
3. Digital Economy and Business Innovation
Digital business models and transformation strategies
Data-driven decision-making
Digital finance and fintech
Digital marketing and user analytics
Platform economy and digital ecosystems
4. Societal and Cross-Sector Applications
Applications in education, healthcare, public administration, and industry
Smart cities and digital public services
Socio-economic impact of digital transformation
Informal economy in digital contexts
5. Ethics, Governance, and Trust
AI ethics, accountability, and governance
Data privacy and security
Transparency, explainability, and trust in AI systems
Regulatory and policy frameworks

Objective
The Special Issue seeks contributions that advance understanding of how AI, data, and integrated systems enable and shape digital transformation across sectors, emphasizing both theoretical developments and practical implementations. Particular interest is given to AI solutions that remain human-controlled, transparent, and open to validation, especially in contexts where reliability, accountability, and trust are essential.

Guest Editors

Prof. Rim Jallouli
University of Manouba

Prof. Gunnar Piho
Taltech University

Prof. Mohamed Anis Bach Tobji
University of Manouba

Prof. Dirk Draheim
Taltech University

Prof. Ingrid Pappel
Taltech University

Important Dates:
Manuscript submission September 15, 2026
Acceptance notification January 15, 2027
Revised manuscript due February 15, 2027
Publication JTDE volume 15, issue 1, March 2027

Writing for the Journal
The Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy accepts papers on a wide range of topics related to technology and services that support the digital economy and digital society.

Papers that describe novel developments – whether existing or envisaged – and their benefits are particularly welcome. Submissions should be original, unpublished work, and should not be under review elsewhere. Papers should be written for readers who are educated and well informed but are not necessarily expert in the relevant field of research. Authors should be careful to situate their work within the context of the digital economy or society.

Papers should be about 4,000–6,000 words in length, excluding references.

Paper Submission
• Prior to paper submission, you are required to register through the JTDE website: https://jtde.telsoc.org/index.php/jtde. Please ensure that your name, email address and affiliation are correctly inserted.
• Submission of your paper in JTDE format must be done electronically through the JTDE website: https://jtde.telsoc.org/index.php/jtde. Please follow the checklist and authors’ guidelines. Ensure that all authors (name, email address, affiliation) are included as contributors.
• When submitting your paper, choose “SI-Digital Economy Transformation” as the section of the Journal. You will receive an email notification when your paper has been successfully submitted.

Any further inquiries can be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at editor@jtde.telsoc.org.