Culturally Sensitive Digital Transformation in Ghana’s Leather Craft Industry: A Heritage–Innovation Approach

Ghana’s artisanal leather craft industry holds significant cultural value, sustained through intergenerational knowledge systems, symbolic traditions, and environmentally embedded practices. However, as digital fabrication technologies increasingly shape global creative economies, artisans face pressure to modernize in ways that may undermine Indigenous knowledge and cultural authenticity. This study adopts a conceptual research design, situated within an interpretivist paradigm, to synthesize existing literature and develop the Heritage–Innovation Alignment Model (HIAM) as a culturally grounded framework for digital transformation in Ghana’s leather sector. The conceptual approach is justified by the need to integrate diverse theoretical insights across heritage studies, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and digital fabrication research in order to advance theory rather than measure empirical outcomes. Drawing on heritage-sensitive innovation scholarship, particularly the framework advanced by Bonfanti, Viganò, and Brunetti, the study identifies three key findings: heritage and innovation are compatible when artisanal knowledge is preserved, digital technologies are selectively segmented, and hybrid craft–digital practices are synthesized. The analysis further reveals that artisan agency, community knowledge networks, and enabling institutional environments are critical to sustainable technology adoption. Based on these findings, the study recommends heritage-aligned digital training, hybrid production strategies, and supportive policy frameworks to ensure that technologies such as laser engraving and CAD/CAM systems enhance rather than displace Indigenous craftsmanship. By offering a theoretically robust and culturally responsive model, the study contributes a practical roadmap for artisans, educators, and policymakers seeking to modernize Ghana’s leather craft industry while strengthening its cultural foundations.