Value creation by knowledge-based ecosystems : evidence from a case study

This study explores how value is created in a managed knowledge-based ecosystem as well as how the dynamics of the ecosystem influence the evolutionary process at the firm-level population. To be able to offer a coherent theoretical framework explaining the underlying mechanisms that drive value creation, we adopt a business model perspective at ecosystem level. The empirical part of this paper draws on a case study of a high-tech campus created by a technology firm in the Netherlands. Our analysis shows two patterns of value creation (1) facilitation of the innovation process by the ecosystem and (2) value creation at the ecosystem level. Second, matching the strengths of the ecosystem business model with the business models of the residents explains why ecosystem members are persuaded to join, stay or leave the managed ecosystem over time. By adopting an ecosystem perspective and following the dynamic capabilities tradition, our work is relevant for research at the intersection of strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship.