Service Innovation Research in the Context of Business Ecosystems-A multidisciplinary Mapping Study

Advances in technology and digitalisation have changed the ways services are created and offered to users. Successful new innovative services and service value co-creation are done in collaboration with organisations and actors in contexts such as business ecosystems. The research relating to service design and open innovation in business ecosystems is cross-disciplinary, and relevant knowledge is scattered throughout different fields. In this research, we are focusing on the research that exists in the areas of service design and open innovation in the business ecosystems context. We aim to collect, analyse and synthesise this existing knowledge in order to increase the understanding of the companies’ service design and open innovation activities in business ecosystems. A mapping study method is utilised to identify the existing related research in the area and to create an overview. The final analysis included 38 papers. Our analysis revealed that the relevant research is focused mainly on two research areas: business research and information technology-related research. Most of the papers combine the open innovation and business ecosystem aspects, but service design is mostly present as a general view on services as means for value creation. We identified antecedents for service value co-creation, such as practices for ecosystem actor involvement. We also identified challenges, such as managing the business ecosystem in terms of finding the right actors. The results indicate that more focused research on the practical understanding of service design and open innovation practices, methods and tools as well as sound theory development are still needed as the research field matures. The results help inform future research in this cross-disciplinary phenomenon

Designing and Implementing Common Market for Cross-Game Purchases between Mobile Games

The mobile game markets are increasingly competitive and the game publishers are looking for new ways to increase player retention and cross commercialization of games. In this paper, we examine how a purchasing system using virtual currency based common market can be designed and implemented in order to create a larger service platform. The solution enables cross-game purchasing of virtual items from one game into another. We present how such a system can be designed, how it would fit into larger vision of multi-game ecosystem and what kind of limitations there are when implementing such a system. As a result, we describe solution of a bank and a marketplace entity, which are responsible of the transactions, virtual items and connecting games to each other. As a conclusion, we are presenting the expected challenges and expansion plans for the common market system

From Industry X to Industry 6.0: Antifragile Manufacturing for People, Planet, and Profit with Passion

This white paper addresses the potential pathways the Finnish industry must take in order to be the strategic leader and driver towards defining “Industry 6.0”. The recent global economic situation has revealed that the Finnish industry is affected by risks caused by the pandemic, global supply chains and dependency of suppliers all around the world. Therefore, we need to build up a completely new industrial revolution, in which antifragility is the design principle to increase our resilience to future stressors and global shocks. Like earlier industrial revolutions, advances in technology have paved the way to creating growth and well-being. Disruptive technologies, such as 3D printing and AI are an opportunity in localization of manufacturing back to Finland. The global climate crisis requires us to be at the forefront of a strategy that creates an impact on the environment, economy, and society. Here, the Finnish ICT expertise can solve problems, as long as the support of taking research results out into the industry is supported. The essential component in creating intelligent solutions and new business is data. Long-term development programs are needed for understanding what the use of data unlike ever before will imply for businesses, customers, ethics and regulations.Industry 6.0 is defined in this paper as “Ubiquitous, customer-driven, virtualized, antifragile manufacturing”. It is characterized on one hand by customer-centric, highly customized lot-size-1 thinking, on the other hand by hyperconnected factories, with dynamic supply chains, where data flows across domains. These also change the role of humans as productions workers, as they become part of the interconnected environment and need to handle the digital, optimized production. While we already have strengths that prepare us to lead the next industrial revolution, we also have serious shortcomings. We need to raise the level of ICT knowledge across the industry; we need multidisciplinary research, development and innovation, and a strategy for long-term public commitment and significant investments.We propose that Finland assumes a strong vision: Industry 6.0 is defined in Finland by proactive game-changing actions. This vision is realized in a long-term commitment to implementing an agenda of the following. 1) Finland nominates a Science and Technology minister to steer the activities. Their task would be to steer the implementation of the agenda holistically. 2) Current smart-specialization strategies need to be specified more carefully in order to utilize funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) more efficiently and in a coordinated matter. 3) Creation of the Virtual Industry 6.0 University, and approximately 10 new Industrial ICT professors and additional postdocs are needed to fill the gaps. 4) Creation of a test factory opening access of the environments broadly and serving as a testbed for Finnish winning platforms. With the network-based test factory, we can create a new pilot model in Finland combining the models of smart specialization, smart co-creation and shared RDI environments to ensure our industrial competitiveness. 5) Establishing a digital transformation accelerator for Finnish industry, aligning the accelerator to European Digital Innovation Hubs selections.</p

Managing technology-based service innovations in emerging wellness business ecosystems

Abstract As services are increasingly becoming the main focus in the traditional information communication technology industry, companies are seeking leverage from new types of collaborations, such as business ecosystems that cross industry boundaries. The health and wellness business is one service domain in which advances in technology have created the need for services that integrate technology in novel ways. To advance new service businesses, national research programmes offer funding for organisations to collaborate for developing innovative services. Forming new networks and collaboration between organisations is essential in the new business environment. Emerging business ecosystems formed in the research programme context are expanding the concept of business ecosystems. When organisations work together for the first time, challenges arise from bringing together different expectations and working styles. Additional challenges arise through issues regarding suitable integrations or in the creation of completely new services. The need to understand the practical phenomenon of emerging business ecosystems and the service innovation in these ecosystems formed the starting point of this research. The research was conducted in two separate Finnish research programmes in which the researcher actively participated. This led to the adoption of an action research strategy, comprising several activities focusing on the actor dynamics and roles as well as resolving issues arising from the ecosystem formation. In addition, the service innovation-focused research activities were based on the capabilities and domain expertise of the ecosystem companies. This research produced an understanding of the formation of wellness business ecosystems, identified the main phases of the formation and some challenges. This research found out that successful emerging business ecosystems require strong leadership early in the formation to maintain the stability and vision of the ecosystem, and each organisation should find its role within the ecosystem. The creation of viable services also requires openness between organisations. This research provides practical knowledge of the organisational actions, managerial insights and solutions to issues that are identified when organisations come together to form new ecosystems in a research programme context.Tiivistelmä Eri ICT-alojen yritykset ovat tänä päivänä siirtyneet yhä enemmän määrittelemään toimintansa teknologian sijaan palveluratkaisujen tuottamisen sekä uudenlaisten yhteistyöratkaisujen kautta. Uusien teknologiaratkaisujen hyödyntäminen on tuonut digitalisaation myös hyvinvointialojen palveluihin. Sen myötä alalle on tullut uusia, teknologiaperustaisia ratkaisuja tuottavia pieniä toimijoita. Viime vuosina myös kansallinen tutkimushankerahoitus on tukenut uutta liiketoimintaa teknologiaperustaisten hyvinvointipalveluratkaisujen ympärille, ja edistänyt uusien yritysverkostojen, kuten liiketoimintaekosysteemien muodostumista. Kun organisaatiot ryhtyvät tekemään tiivistä yhteistyötä ensimmäistä kertaa yhdessä hankkeiden puitteissa, tuovat erilaiset odotukset ja työskentelytapojen yhteensovittaminen myös omat haasteensa yhteistyöhön. Uusien ekosysteemien muodostumista ja siihen liittyviä käytänteitä on tarvetta ymmärtää aiempaa syvällisemmin. Tämä tunnistettu tarve toimi tämän väitöstutkimuksen lähtökohtana. Tämä tutkimus toteutettiin kahdessa suomalaisessa tutkimusohjelmassa, joihin väitöstyön tekijä osallistui aktiivisena tutkijana. Tutkimus toteutettiin toimintatutkimuksena, ja siihen sisällytettiin useita tutkimustehtäviä. Tehtävien tavoitteena oli keskittyä toimijoiden keskinäiseen toimintaan ja rooleihin, ja pyrkiä ratkaisemaan ekosysteemiyhteistyöstä syntyviä haasteita. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa keskityttiin ekosysteemiyhteistyön pyrkimykseen synnyttää innovatiivista liiketoimintaa organisaatioiden yhteistyöllä. Väitöstyön tuloksena saatiin uutta ymmärrystä hyvinvointialan ekosysteemien muodostamisesta tutkimushankkeen yhteydessä ja tunnistettiin muodostumisen vaiheita sekä niihin liittyviä ongelmia. Tässä tutkimuksessa todettiin, että onnistunut yhteistyö uudessa liiketoimintaekosysteemissä vaatii vahvan johtavan yrityksen, joka tuo ekosysteemiin päämäärätietoisuutta ja vakautta. Tämän lisäksi muiden yritysten on löydettävä niille sopiva rooli ekosysteemissä. Uusien palveluiden kehittäminen ekosysteemissä vaatii avoimuutta yritysten yhteisessä toiminnassa. Väitöskirjatyö tuotti käytäntöön sovellettavaa tietoa organisaatioiden toiminnasta, ja johtamiseen kohdistuvista tarpeista. Lisäksi se tuotti ratkaisuja tunnistettuihin ongelmiin, joita organisaatioiden yhteistyö ekosysteemin muodostamisen alkuvaiheessa aiheutti tässä työssä tarkastelluissa tutkimushankkeissa

Managing Emerging Business Ecosystems – A Knowledge Management Viewpoint

Technology-based services are increasingly being developed in business ecosystems. Business ecosystems benefit companies by enabling shared goals and resources through collaboration, but a successful business ecosystem also requires internal management of knowledge. Strategic funding is currently being offered for the formation of new business ecosystems in the ICT industry to develop new digital business. We followed two such emerging business ecosystems developing new technology-based services in the health and well-being domain that were funded by research programs in Finland. Applying a knowledge conversion model to the analysis of activities aimed at facilitating the formation of business ecosystems, new directions for emerging ecosystems management research are explored. We present the knowledge capture, sharing, and creation practices and activities used in these two cases. By analyzing the knowledge conversion perspective, we add to the understanding of formation of emerging business ecosystems as well as possibilities for improving it

Mobile gaming in gyms:can fitness and games join together?

Abstract Combining gym exercising and mobile gaming is bringing together two global trends. In this research, it has been studied how a gym-themed mobile game can be connected to a real gym setting by bringing personal exercising data from wearable sensors and gym equipment to the game. It is also studied how the gym goers see the gaming when combined to their exercising routines

Developing technology pushed breakthroughs:an empirical study

Abstract Developing a technology push product that brings real novelty to the market is difficult, risky and costly. This case study analyzes success factors defined by the literature. True industrial cases, representing Finnish ICT firms in their early phase after a successful market entry, were researched for the success factor analysis. The whole set of the previously introduced success factors were variably supported, and three new factors arose. Because the technology pushed development processes are risky with high failure rates, the validated success factors are valuable knowledge for the developments intensive firm’s management