Staying strong during the web 3.0 shake: Leveraging dynamic capabilities theory for innovation management

The growing importance of innovation management in the Web 3.0 era requires companies to rethink organizational strategies and training approaches. Characterized by decentralization, interoperability, and user empowerment, Web 3.0 reshapes corporate processes, enabling new forms of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and value creation. However, its adoption poses significant challenges, as organizations must develop both technical and organizational competences to remain competitive. This study investigates the competences required by companies to navigate the technological transformation driven by Web 3.0, adopting the theoretical lens of dynamic capabilities and their individual-level micro-foundations. A qualitative multiple case study approach was conducted across six companies, analyzing how hard and soft skills underpin the sensing, seizing, and transforming dimension of dynamic capabilities within innovation management. Findings show that hard skills—such as programming, AI, and cloud infrastructure management—support the exploitation of technological opportunities, while soft skills—such as teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving—enhance the capacity to reconfigure processes and sustain collaborative innovation. These competencies act together to strengthen organizational agility and the strategic management of innovation. The study contributes theoretically by linking human resource competencies to dynamic capabilities, advancing the understanding of individual-level micro-foundations in digital innovation contexts. Practically, it offers guidance for designing training programs and preparing hybrid profiles capable of addressing the challenges and opportunities of Web 3.0.