Competence Center Alliances, Platforms & Ecosystems

Increasingly many companies connect with one another in collaborative systems to realize a joint value proposition. In many industries, especially digital platforms and ecosystems become dominant forces of competition. The aim of this competence center is to generate knowledge about the functioning and performance consequences of these multilateral systems for both academia and practice.

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Alliances, platforms, and ecosystems as drivers for the realization of innovative value propositions

The Competence Center Alliances, Platforms & Ecosystems connects interdisciplinary researchers from the University of St.Gallen with partner organizations from industry and society. This holistic approach enables us to analyze customers’ wishes for more complex, integrated solutions instead of standardized products and services and to develop innovative solutions. These so-called ecosystems of interconnected actors who collaborate to realize innovative, customer-oriented solutions without necessarily being hierarchically organized, are expected to account for $80 trillion of global gross domestic product by 2030 (McKinsey, 2022).

We deal with questions at the ecosystem level:

How do ecosystems emerge, grow and decline?
What roles do individual companies play in an ecosystem?
When is it best to enter an ecosystem and when to leave it?

We also study the strategic decisions and transformations of companies in an ecosystem context:

How do you make strategic decisions that affect ecosystems?
How to organize effectively in ecosystems?
What changes are necessary in established companies that are confronted with ecosystems?

Our offering

Our competence center offers a wide range of services in the field of alliances, platforms, and ecosystems. Thanks to our linkage to the University of St.Gallen, we blend cutting-edge research with practical applications.

For companies, we offer in-house training such as customized programs, workshops, and seminars. Individuals can choose from a variety of executive education courses. Corporate collaborations are also possible, which are specially developed for companies that would like to work with us in the medium- to long-run.

Benefit from the many years of experience of our competence center!

In-house executive education

The center offers seminars, customized programs, and workshops for companies that want to grow through (platform-) ecosystem-based business models. Beyond classic strategies and mechanisms of growth, we enable ways to innovate through product- or service-oriented business models towards an integrated, customer- and solution-oriented thinking.

Our approach is as follows:

1. Analysis

In a free 2-hour workshop, we define the status quo, your goals, the target group, the desired topics, and the further approach together.

2. Conception

In close coordination with you, we develop an executive education program – tailored to your needs.

3. Implementation

Before the program begins, all participants get access to the learning platform. Expectations are picked up and preparation tasks are set. The program execution is interactive and practice-oriented, the contents are always research-based and tested in practice.

4. Transfer & Evaluation

After the program, we ensure through multiple-choice tests, lessons learned, or transfer projects that the participants can successfully apply the newly acquired knowledge and the new methods in their day-to-day business.

Open executive education

For individuals, we offer open executive education programs (in German only) in the areas of alliances, platforms and ecosystems. Our executive education programs are modularly structured and thus allow great flexibility in the compilation of your personal learning journey.

CAS HSG

Strategisches Management CAS HSG

Stärken Sie Ihre strategischen Fähigkeiten als Führungspersönlichkeit mit strategischer Verantwortung

Business Model Innovation und Transformation

Zukunftsfähige (digitale) Geschäftsmodelle innovieren und bestehende transferieren

Digitale Plattformen und Ökosysteme

Durch kollaborative Geschäftsmodelle einzigartige Wertangebote kreieren

Business Development

Wachstum durch Internationalisierung, Allianzen und Ecosystems

Introduction to Decentralized Finance

Together with the Center for Financial Services Innovation (FSI-HSG), we offer the open executive education course “Introduction to Decentralized Finance”. Over the course of two days, you will learn the basics of DeFi, from Blockchain to Smart Contracts.

Further information

Corporate collaborations

Currently, the survival rate of all initiated digital platforms and ecosystems is between 15-25%. For alliances, the survival rate is about 30-40%. We are happy to support you on a medium- to long-term basis within the framework of corporate collaborations. The competence center aims to initiate an effective exchange between academia and business, focusing on strategic management in the context of alliances, platforms, and ecosystems. We support this by processing best practices and working together with our partners to avoid mistakes in the strategic management of alliances, platforms, and ecosystems. Together we combine the latest findings from science and practice to ensure the success of your practical projects.

Our partners

Testimonials

«The exchange between academia and practical application is essential for progress and market impact. We greatly value our ties with the competence center alliances, digital platforms and ecosystems.»

Dominik Temerowski, VP Alliance Management, Swisscom

«We are happy to leverage the unique expertise and experience of the University of St.Gallen to further refine our ecosystem in a series of workshops. The competence center on Alliances, Platforms and Ecosystems of the Institute of Management and Strategy is of great value to us when applying cutting-edge theoretical insights into practice.»

Christine Platiel, COO, LiveWell by Zurich Insurance Group

Podcast: Platform Insights

Listen in as we talk about the latest findings from our research on alliances, platforms & ecosystems.

Insights #1 – conceptual foundations of platforms and ecosystems

Duration: 39 minutes | Language: English | Release: February 5, 2024

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Insights #2 – the shift from product systems to ecosystems

Duration: 29 minutes | Language: English | Release: March 1, 2024

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Insights #3 – geopolitical developments and their impact on bilateral agreements

Duration: 10 minutes | Language: English | Release: April 1, 2024

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Selection of current research outcomes

Managing multi-tiered innovation ecosystems

Abstract

We study how orchestrators of innovation ecosystems govern their relationships with multiple heterogeneous complementors that differ in their positions and activities that contribute to an integrated value proposition. Prior research has focused on ecosystem-wide and complementor-specific governance, each not suited to adequately address the challenges of this context. Building on a multiple-case study in the financial services sector, our findings demonstrate that orchestrators create distinctly governed tiers of complementors based on the domains of uncertainty underlying their ecosystem blueprint. The organizational form and coordination mechanisms of these tiers reflect the convergent or explorative role of complementors in the core or the periphery of the blueprint. We contribute to ecosystem governance by introducing complementor tiers as a governance approach that blends elements of ecosystem-wide and complementor-specific governance and by linking governance choices to uncertainty and complementor roles. Furthermore, we discuss the potential for future research at the intersection of ecosystem and open innovation governance.

Details

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Authors

Andreas Reiter, Joachim Stonig, Karolin Frankenberger

Year

2023

Journal

Research Policy

How firms realign to tackle the grand challenge of climate change: An innovation ecosystems perspective

Abstract

We study how incumbents and new entrants realign in innovation ecosystems to collectively tackle grand challenges (GCs). We focus on the GC of climate change by investigating collaborative pilot projects between 10 electric utilities and 57 clean-tech startups. These pilots explore low-carbon value propositions through novel technological interfaces and strategic relations. Via qualitative comparative analysis, we identify three configurations of ecosystem realignment with high climate impact: an incumbent-led digital platform realignment, a device complementor and customer-enabling realignment, and a new orchestrator realignment. We propose three mechanisms that explain why these specific configurations unlock climate impact: they enhance resource efficiency, the flexibility and resilience of infrastructure, and the trading and leveraging of information and resources. Collectively, these results uncover (1) how the realignment of incumbents and startups in innovation ecosystems changes existing industry structures; (2) why specific configurations of such ecosystems are effective in addressing GCs; and (3) the boundary conditions under which collective efforts in ecosystems translate into climate impact.

Details

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Authors

Lukas Falcke, Ann-Kristin Zobel, Stephen D. Comello

Year

2023

Journal

Journal of Product Innovation Management

From product system to ecosystem: How firms adapt to provide an integrated value proposition

Abstract

Digital ecosystems that enable new integrated value propositions pose a challenge for established firms, as these new activities often fundamentally conflict with the existing product business. Our case study of a machine manufacturer shows how a firm can leverage its product-focused activities to establish itself as an ecosystem leader through the mutual adaptation of its product and ecosystem activities. The focal firm modularized its products and enhanced their information-processing capacities while simultaneously embedding them in an integrative platform with open interfaces for partner components. The firm was thus able to realize data-driven complementarities between the platform and its components. Supporting the ecosystem-creation process required a shift of the organizational design towards collaboration, both internally and with partners.

Details

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Authors

Joachim Stonig, Torsten Schmid, Günter Müller-Stewens

Year

2022

Journal

Strategic Management Journal

Exploring growth dynamics of platform ecosystems

Abstract

Understanding value creation and appropriation in platform ecosystems is highly relevant in an economy where competition increasingly shifts to an ecosystem level. We explore how the strength of network effects and participant inertia influence the growth dynamics of platform ecosystems. We use a system model of a platform ecosystem with interdependent buyer and seller populations to explore the how value creation and distribution shifts during platform ecosystem growth. We find that increasing the strength of network effects and lowering inertia are substituting growth strategies. Value distribution depends on a dynamic equilibrium between buyer and seller populations, which evolves during platform growth. We contribute to the literature on multi-sided platforms by highlighting the role of time for the strategic decisions of platform participants and policy makers.

Details

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Authors

Joachim Stonig, Florian Kranzl

Year

2020

Journal

Conference Paper

Ökosystem-basierte Wettbewerbsstrategien

Abstract

Ecosystems and digital platforms offer diverse, sometimes innovative opportunities to generate competitive advantages. In this article we focus on the most important strategic levers available to companies in this context. We base our arguments on current findings from strategy research and illustrate effective strategies using practical examples. We show that four primary factors influence the competitiveness of a platform-based ecosystem: network effects, platform design, business model and ecosystem governance. Overall, this article provides a scientifically sound, practical guide for strategists and managers to explain performance differences between ecosystems and formulate strategies for building competitive advantage. Ecosystems and digital platforms offer several, sometimes innovative paths to competitive advantages. In this article, we focus on the critical strategic levers that companies use in this context. We base our arguments on current findings in strategy research and illustrate effective strategies based on practical examples. We argue that primarily four factors influence the competitive advantages of a platform-based ecosystem: network effects, platform design, business model, and ecosystem governance. Overall, this article provides a science-backed, practical guide for strategists and managers to explain performance differences between ecosystems and formulate strategies to build competitive advantage.

Details

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Authors

Maximilian Dexheimer, Christoph Lechner

Year

2019

Journal

Die Unternehmung

Obstacles and strategies in ecosystem governance: a view from the orchestrator side

Abstract

Purpose – Platform ecosystem governance is a decisive issue for orchestrators, as the motivation and behaviors of the complementors in an ecosystem can be distinctly different, shaped by the specific arrangements they have within the ecosystem. However, knowledge about adaptation in the governance of platform ecosystems is quite limited. First, the authors hardly know which obstacles are arising for orchestrators due to typical governance settings and their consequences. Second, the authors know less about governance strategies by orchestrators that help deal with these obstacles.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors follow an inductive, multistep case-study-based approach with multiple cases using guidelines proposed by Yin (2018). Based on predefined criteria, the authors selected 41 platform ecosystems with a “hub and spoke” system within and across several industries and collected a wide range of data. The authors conducted 14 interviews with executives of these platform ecosystems to gain further insights, transcribed and/or summarized all interviews, and analyzed the data.

Findings – Based on the dataset, the authors identify four significant obstacles and ten strategies of orchestrators in platform ecosystems. This approach allows us to gain insight into innovative approaches orchestrators conduct to cope with these challenges.

Originality/value – The authors already have a broad range of studies on ecosystem governance in the literature. However, research dealing with the dynamics of governance regimes is quite rare. The study examines how orchestrators of platform ecosystems react to emerging obstacles they are confronted with during the evolution of their platform ecosystems. Partly, these strategies might be expected, but mostly they show innovative approaches for handling these obstacles that have not been reported in research so far.