Sustainable competitiveness (SC) encourages nations not only to meet the needs of the current generation but also to sustain or even expand national wealth in the future without depleting natural and social capital. Drawing on complexity theory, we used a configurational approach to identify under what necessary and sufficient conditions, digitalisation contributes to achieve higher SC. Shifting attention from net effects to configuration analysis improves our understanding of cross-national differences in sustainability by exploring how the digitalisation factors combine to strengthen SC power across countries. To address the complexity of this configuration, we have incorporated fsQCA and NCA techniques in the modelling of high and low levels of sustainable competitiveness recipes. Analysis of data from 127 countries advanced our perception of how access to ICT infrastructures and capabilities, combined with the adoption and usage of ICT could result in different degrees of sustainable competitiveness. Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature on digitalisation and national sustainability; and it can practically act as a guideline for policymakers to understand the complex interactions and causal configurations of digitalisation factors on sustainability.

可持续竞争力（SC）鼓励各国不仅满足当代人的需求，而且在不耗尽自然和社会资本的情况下，在未来维持甚至扩大国家财富。基于复杂性理论，我们使用一种配置方法来确定在什么必要和充分条件下，数字化有助于实现更高的SC。将注意力从净效应转移到配置分析，通过探索数字化因素如何组合在一起以增强各国的SC能力，可以增进我们对跨国公司在可持续性方面的差异的了解。为了解决此配置的复杂性，我们将fsQCA和NCA技术纳入了高水平和低水平的可持续竞争力配方的建模中。对来自127个国家/地区的数据进行分析后，我们进一步了解了如何利用ICT基础设施和能力，以及采用和使用ICT可以带来不同程度的可持续竞争力。从理论上讲，这项研究有助于有关数字化和国家可持续性的文献。它实际上可以作为决策者了解数字化因素对可持续发展的复杂相互作用和因果关系的指南。