Ecosystem Archetypes

This chapter describes the variety of ecosystem archetypes. The five most relevant ecosystem types are presented and illustrated with examples: business ecosystems, innovation ecosystems, platform ecosystems, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and knowledge ecosystems. Overlaps and distinct factors to other forms of inter-organizational value creation, such as alliances, networks, and regional clusters, are discussed. The chapter consists of a separate section for each of these ecosystem types. It demonstrates how, in addition to modularity, the multilateral nature and joint value creation distinguish business ecosystems from alliances and networks. The section on innovation ecosystems outlines the potential roles of incumbent firms and new ventures in orchestrating innovation ecosystems and addresses challenges for incumbents, such as the shark’s dilemma, and for ecosystem natives (i.e., new ventures that build their business models on ecosystem activities). It also introduces the role of innovation intermediaries in catalyzing innovation ecosystems. The following section presents platform ecosystems and contrasts them with mere (internal product, supply chain, and multi-sided market) platforms. The next section elaborates on entrepreneurial and knowledge ecosystems, which often serve as the foundation for innovation or business ecosystems and include a broader variety of actors. Finally, this chapter provides the Ecosystem Navigator, a tool that guides decision makers through this jungle of inter-organizational relationships and helps them select the best-fitting mode for value co-creation.