The manufacturing industry is one of the biggest beneficiaries of artificial intelligence (AI). However, to reap the value and fulfill all the necessary activities, they realize it involves a multitude of different capabilities and resources. Therefore, firms increasingly establishing innovation ecosystems that animate both, (inter)-organizational cooperation, and intra-ecosystem competition among participants. But beyond resources and capabilities, what are the reasons that independent organizations become members in the first place, and how do they secure their position in a field of dynamic competition and collaboration? This study applies an exploratory multi-case study with ten cases from the manufacturing industry. Based on a business model and role of value network perspective, our findings reveal 16 BM characteristics that add to a competitive advantage and therefore ecosystem membership. Our study contributes to the research on competitive advantage in innovation ecosystems, strategic management, and the growing streams of research on artificial intelligence