This document discusses different types of networks and ecosystems, including business, knowledge, innovation, platform, and start-up ecosystems. It explores reasons for developing an ecosystem, such as value co-creation and risk sharing. The document outlines roles within a knowledge ecosystem and strategies for an innovation ecosystem. It also examines factors for a company to consider an ecosystem strategy, such as the business context and level of turbulence. Finally, the document uses the Tradelens platform ecosystem case to illustrate challenges in bringing competitors together and achieving neutrality.

1. Antwerp Management School
Leveraging & Designing
Smart Ecosystems
Yassin Boullauazan

2. Leveraging & Designing Smart Ecosystems
Networks and ecosystems are everywhere to be found. A growing body of literature consistently points out how
they can be leveraged to reach unparalleled amount of growth. However, the power of networks and
ecosystems lie in your prowess to leverage or design them to your benefit.

3. How many networks are you actively involved in?

4. Types of ecosystems
Business ecosystems
Car manufacturing firms (Toyota), Insurance (Baloise)
Knowledge ecosystems
IMEC nanotech
Innovation ecosystems
Michelin
Platform ecosystems
Android Platform, Apple App store
Start-up ecosystems
Antwerp start-up ecosystem

5. Network Theory – Which network do you want to join &
which one do you want to run?

6. Why would I need an ecosystem?
Value co-creation
Shared ownership
IP aspects
Lower cost for value creation
Optimized risk sharing
Optimized resource allocation
To be protected against an external threat
Benefits exclusive to the ecosystem
Fungibility of invested efforts ie. ecosystem lock-in

7. Types of innovations & Network relations

9. Mapping actionality & intentionality
Partners (e.g., distributors and complementaries) intentionally
and directly provide resources and perform commercialization
tasks through close and intentional cooperation;
Intentional promoters (e.g., associations and public
organizations) can be indirectly engaged to support diffusion,
market creation, or industry development through close
cooperation;
Unintentional promoters (e.g., expert opinion leaders on the
focal industry) contribute commercialization tasks distantly;
Facilitators (e.g., regulators) indirectly and distantly support
diffusion, market creation, or industry development by shaping
the market environment.

10. Innovation Ecosystem Strategy

11. Company strategy for an environment – To Ecosystem or not
to ecosystem? That’s the question.
Company’s choice of ecosystem strategy— keystone, physical dominator, or niche—
choice also can be affected by the business context - Being: the general level of
turbulence and the complexity of its relationships with others in the ecosystem.
•Business is at the center of a complex network of asset-sharing relationships and
operates in a turbulent environment, a keystone strategy may be the most effective.
Your business relies on a complex network of external assets but operates in a
mature industry, you may choose a physical dominator strategy
•Physical dominator ultimately be comes its own ecosystem, absorbing the complex
network of interdependencies that existed between distinct organizations
•A commodity business in a mature and stable environment and operate relatively
independently of other organizations, an ecosystem strategy is irrelevant

12. Roles in a Knowledge Ecosystem

13. Platform Ecosystem case
Tradelens (Maersk + IBM)
Patience (+7 years & still ongoing)
Resources (Multi-year contract with IBM, dedicated ecosystem development teams)
Overcoming B2B hurdles:
“It’s hard enough to get enterprises that compete with each other to work together as a team, but it’s
especially tricky when one of those rivals owns the team.”
Neutrality perception achieved by representation in the board + block-chain enabled permission-based datasharing

14. Tradelens vs incumbent forwarders vs other platforms