Mobility creates reach, ecosystems determine conversion: Founder educational mobility and international engagement

Pigola A.; Fischer B.; de Moraes G.H.S.M. Journal of Business Venturing Insights. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbvi.2026.e00671

Founder educational mobility is often treated as a channel through which entrepreneurs access non-local knowledge, networks, and opportunities. Yet mobility may not automatically translate into international market engagement. The key insight of our study is that mobility creates potential reach, but sub-regional ecosystems determine whether that reach is converted into international market engagement. We develop ecosystem convertibility, defined as the extent to which local networks, support institutions, and external demand linkages enable firms to transform founder educational mobility into international engagement. Using a 2015–2020 panel of 2260 firm-year observations from 517 technology-oriented firms supported by the Innovative Research in Small Business Program (PIPE) in São Paulo, Brazil, we examine export and import engagement across sub-regional hubs. Logistic models show that founder educational mobility alone does not consistently predict international engagement, whereas its interaction with ecosystem convertibility is positive and significant, especially for export engagement. This result also holds for export engagement when convertibility is recalculated using networks and institutions only, excluding external demand. Descriptive checks show a highly skewed mobility distribution and a low export base rate, so the export results are interpreted cautiously. A machine-learning diagnostic is reported as a secondary predictive check rather than causal evidence. The paper contributes to entrepreneurship research by shifting attention from whether founder educational mobility matters to when and where mobility becomes productive. For practice, the results imply that internationalization policy should strengthen the sub-regional mechanisms that convert mobility into market access. © 2026 The Authors

A design science approach to scaling platform business models

von Delft S.; Zhao Y.; Canales I.J.; Buck T. Long Range Planning. DOI: 10.1016/j.lrp.2026.102696

Platform business models are central to the digital economy, yet few achieve sustainable scaling—exponential expansion combined with resource-efficient value creation. Existing research highlights the role of business model design choices and managerial agency in shaping scaling outcomes but offers limited insight into how scalable configurations are generated under uncertainty. We address this question by adopting a design science perspective on platform scaling. A multi-case study of four platforms transitioning from two-sided markets to complex ecosystems reveals how firms generated scaling solutions through blending—the recursive recombination of business model ingredients across industries and geographies. This process was guided by scaling intentions and reinforced through immersion in the digital economy, enabling firms to construct and progressively stabilize novel configurations while shaping ecosystem interdependencies. Over time, recurring patterns in these design practices were codified into simple rules that guided subsequent scaling efforts. These insights contribute to research on platform scaling by shifting attention from identifying effective configurations to explaining how such configurations were generated under uncertainty. They further advance research on heuristics by reconceptualizing simple rules as generative principles that emerge from situated design processes, and extend design science by providing empirical insight into how such processes unfold in established platform firms. © 2026 The Authors.

Place-based institutional work in sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems: Evidence from an Italian rural ecosystem

Di Santo N.; Annosi M.C.; Sisto R.; Appio F.P. Long Range Planning. DOI: 10.1016/j.lrp.2026.102690

Sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems (SEEs) are increasingly understood as place-based configurations in which firms, institutions, and intermediaries pursue economic, social, and environmental objectives simultaneously. Yet, little is known about how coordination among heterogeneous actors emerges, how firm-level strategies scale into ecosystem-level governance arrangements, and how such arrangements are reproduced and stabilized over time. Addressing this gap, we examine how firm-level strategies evolve into ecosystem governance arrangements and how these are recursively reproduced through ongoing institutional work, shaping subsequent firm behavior. Empirically, we draw on an in-depth qualitative study of the Local Action Group (LAG) Daunia Rurale 2020 in Southern Italy, based on 28 interviews with firm owners and ecosystem stakeholders, complemented by observational and archival data. Our findings show that ecosystem governance emerges through the interplay between LAG-led coordination efforts and firms’ place-based practices of territorial valorization. We identify four recurring patterns of place-based institutional work through which incumbent firms translate firm-level strategies into ecosystem-level governance arrangements: multilateral dependency with the LAG, strategic territorial commitment, community-based value creation, and the enactment of territorial value logics through practices and coordination support. These patterns progressively scale into two ecosystem-level governance dynamics: the emergence of legitimate ecosystem embeddedness and the stabilization of a territorial value logic in ecosystem governance. We further show how these governance arrangements recursively shape subsequent firm behavior and participation. By theorizing governance as an emergent, stabilized, and recursively reproduced accomplishment rather than a pre-existing backdrop, this study contributes to research on entrepreneurial ecosystems, sustainable entrepreneurship, and place-based strategy. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd.

From functional connectivity to human-machine empathy: Scene value co-creation driven by GenAI-enabled smart elderly care based on a hybrid agency perspective

Zheng S.; Ding X.; Liu Y.; Lin H.; Appolloni A. Technovation. DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2026.103725

Against the dual pressures of accelerated smart eldercare adoption and rising ethical risk, Generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping how value is created in elderly-care scenes. However, extant research has scarcely explored how GenAI—as an agent endowed with generative capabilities—deeply couples with eldercare scenes to reconfigure human-machine hybrid agency, thereby actualizing scene value co-creation. This study conducts an exploratory longitudinal dual-case analysis of iFlytek, an ecosystem orchestrator, and UBTECH, a vertical subordinate enterprise within China's smart eldercare sector. The findings reveal that: (1) Generative AI and eldercare scenes, serving as dual parallel elements, drive the emergence of hybrid agency. (2) Scene value co-creation evolves through three distinct stages: functional connection, precision service, and empathic symbiosis. Correspondingly, hybrid agency transitions from automated agency to augmented agency and ultimately to symbiotic agency, successively actualizing safety value exchange, value-in-use alignment, and embodied value symbiosis within respective scenes. (3) The ecosystem orchestrator adopts a centralized orchestration and cognitive connection path to construct a platform-based hybrid agency, while the subordinate enterprise employs the path of terminal embedding and embodied companionship to construct a vertical hybrid agency. (4) To mitigate the latent risks of value co-destruction during the evolutionary process, enterprises must establish dynamic governance mechanisms spanning from boundary constraints and human calibration to ethical correction. This research extends the theoretical boundaries of digital innovation within the context of an aging society and provides strategic insights for leveraging Tech for Good to address the global challenges of population aging. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd

When more interaction is not enough: How social conditions shape collaborative culture in entrepreneurial ecosystems

Fuentes N. Journal of Business Venturing Insights. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbvi.2026.e00686

Entrepreneurial ecosystems are increasingly understood as complex adaptive systems in which outcomes emerge from interactions among heterogeneous actors. Yet, how the social conditions under which entrepreneurs interact shape the emergence of collaborative culture remains underexplored. We develop a microfoundational framework that explains how macro-level social conditions shape agents' decisions and interactions, and how these decentralized actions generate collaborative culture. We implement this framework in an agent-based model that integrates a large language model into entrepreneurs' decision-making, enabling agents to combine reputational information with their behavioral orientations. The model examines three social conditions: the composition of entrepreneurs according to their willingness to give without expecting immediate returns, the diffusion of informal reputational information, and the conditions under which entrepreneurs encounter one another. Results show that populations with more give-first orientations generate more successful helping. Recurring interaction settings generate more interactions and successful helping in absolute terms, whereas random encounters produce a higher proportion of successful interactions. Reputational information is associated with reputational filtering, reflected in a persistent fitness disadvantage for opportunistic behavior under structured encounters and, in some conditions, a divergence between collaborative and opportunistic profiles. The key insight is that collaborative culture depends not simply on the amount of interaction, but on actors' ability to use reputational information to selectively direct support toward partners based on their past collaborative behavior. These findings highlight the importance of microfoundational frameworks that integrate behavioral composition, reputational information, and encounter conditions to explain the emergence of collaborative culture in entrepreneurial ecosystems. © 2026 The Author

Engagement in innovation ecosystems and commercialization of innovation: geography of collaboration, uncertainty and risk

Audretsch D.B.; Belitski M.; Theodoraki C. Technovation. DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2026.103741

This study demonstrates that the relationship between the breadth of engagement with innovation ecosystem actors across four geographical dimensions shapes innovation outcomes and is subject to firms’ perceptions of risk and uncertainty. Using firm-level data for 14,382 innovative firms and 28,913 firm-year observations from 2004 to 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK), we find a strong link between the breadth of engagement with innovation ecosystem actors regionally, nationally, and internationally and the commercialization of innovation. Economic risk and market uncertainty condition the collaboration–innovation relationship, but the robustness of these effects show that geographical location of partners matters. Identifying this idiosyncratic relationship contributes to the open innovation and innovation ecosystems literature by demonstrating that changes in knowledge collaboration with ecosystem actors increase innovation and that uncertainty and risk act as boundary conditions for innovation. © 2026

Building sustainable futures: The micro-foundational dynamics behind energy community ecosystem

Calza F.; Parmentola A.; Tutore I.; Costagliola di Fiore M.; Rescigno E. Technovation. DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2026.103743

Energy Communities (ECs) are increasingly recognized as collaborative ecosystems that support energy transition. However, existing research has predominantly explained their emergence from macro- and meso-level perspectives, offering limited insight into micro-level mechanisms. Although broader ecosystem research has only recently begun to explain ecosystem-level outcomes from a micro-level perspective, treating individuals as the primary unit of analysis, it has paid limited attention to the relational mechanisms through which individual actions and interactions contribute to ecosystem emergence. To address this gap, this study adopts a microfoundational perspective to examine the creation and development of an energy community ecosystem through an in-depth qualitative case study conducted in Southern Italy. Drawing on semi-structured interviews triangulated with multiple documentary sources analyzed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis, the findings identify three relational microfoundational mechanisms, namely micro-level collaborative initiatives, micro-relational engagement toward cultural change, and relation-driven energy inclusion that explain how energy community ecosystems progressively emerge from individual actions and interactions across the ideation, formalization, and growth phases. The study advances the explanatory capacity of the microfoundational perspective by extending its application to energy community ecosystems, providing actionable insights for designing inclusive, context-sensitive interventions tailored to different phases of ecosystem development. © 2026 The Authors

Leading the transition: How companies create nature-positive value through integrated capitals and innovation

Yaraghi N.; Gomes J.F.; Ahokangas P. Journal of Cleaner Production. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.149666

The shift from reducing environmental harm to actively restoring ecosystems is redefining sustainability practice. This study examines how firms transition toward Nature-Positive Business Models (N-PBMs), business models that contribute to biodiversity recovery and ecosystem integrity, drawing on 21 semi-structured interviews with CEOs, sustainability managers, and operational leaders in the energy, ICT, and construction sectors in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Using thematic analysis that combines deductive coding across six capital dimensions (natural, financial, human, intellectual, social, and production) with inductive identification of emergent patterns, we find that nature-positive transformation is driven not by isolated practices but by the coordinated alignment of leadership, financial structures, innovation, stakeholder engagement, and governance. Leadership acts as the key coordinating force, while cross-capital synergies enable firms to integrate ecological and economic objectives. Theoretically, the study positions N-PBMs as systemic configurations of interacting organizational elements rather than a distinct set of practices, offering guidance for firms and policymakers embedding biodiversity goals into strategy. © 2026 The Authors.

Technology (Non)Emergence: How System Interdependencies Among Activities by Heterogeneous Actors Shaped Alternative Solar Technology Trajectories

Guerra M.; Agarwal R. Organization Science. DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2022.17185

We examine industry and technology (non)emergence by integrating actorcentric and systems perspective literature streams. We use historical methods to analyze rich data tracking investments by actors spanning private, public, and academic sectors in the solar photovoltaics context. The industry took several decades after commercialization to emerge; moreover, silicon and thin film technologies experienced divergent fates despite firm takeoff. By uncovering critical interdependencies across activities by different actors, we show that, whereas attention by all actors to developing various elements of technological systems is necessary for emergence, it may not be sufficient. The industry emerged after activities by technology producers, industry associations, and government agencies ensured stable institutional support that stimulated latent demand (by utilities and end consumers) and created reinforcing loops among activities by technology producers and research institutes for solar technologies to become a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Moreover, silicon experienced additional reinforcing loops in demand-side and supply-side ecosystems, wherein technology producers and equipment manufacturers leveraged adjacent mature supply chains to meet demand-side scale and reliability requirements in fast growing markets. In contrast, thin film experienced balancing loops wherein nascent firmspecific supply side alliances could not address these demand side needs. These findings showcase how dominant designs may emerge even when there is no ex ante competitive dynamics among technology producers: Although silicon may have benefited from first mover advantage at the technology level, our study highlights that ecosystem first mover advantages of silicon relative to thin film were particularly salient in their divergent fates. © 2026 The Author(s).

Government as orchestrator: Ecosystem transformation at scale and speed

Adner R. Strategic Management Journal. DOI: 10.1002/smj.70129

Research Summary: Grand challenges are ecosystem challenges: success depends on aligning a multilateral set of public and private sector actors whose interdependent contributions determine whether a mission is achieved. This study examines how government can orchestrate ecosystem alignment by leveraging distinctive capabilities to deliver solutions at scale with urgency. Using an ecosystem-as-structure analytic approach, it draws on Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government COVID-19 vaccine initiative, to surface mechanisms and dynamics of ecosystem transformation. The analysis introduces coordinative fiat as a mode of coordination distinct from hierarchy, coercion, or market signals; considers the choices involved in designing a purpose-built orchestrating entity; links orchestration of the external ecosystem to reconfiguration of the orchestrator's own internal ecosystem; and identifies orchestration capacity as a key constraint on ecosystem strategy. Managerial Summary: Grand challenges are ecosystem challenges: success depends on aligning a multilateral set of public and private sector actors whose interdependent contributions determine whether a mission is achieved. The Operation Warp Speed COVID-19 vaccine initiative demonstrates how government can drive alignment at speed and scale to address such challenges. The analysis highlights four lessons for leaders: (i) the use of coordinative fiat to align independent actors without relying on hierarchy or coercion; (ii) the design of orchestrating entities; (iii) linking transformation of external ecosystems to the transformation of internal ecosystems; and (iv) strategizing orchestration capacity as a key constraint on scope. While the discussion is anchored in the public sector, it holds clear implications for private-sector initiatives as well. © 2026 The Author(s). Strategic Management Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A platform for change? Core component innovations, complementor adaptation, and multihoming in platform-based ecosystems

Agarwal S.; Ranganathan R. Strategic Management Journal. DOI: 10.1002/smj.70136

Research Summary: Digital platforms coordinate complementor innovations through interfaces into their core components. However, when interfaces themselves evolve alongside core component innovations, complementors may exhibit behaviors that are not entirely predictable. Using granular data from Apple's five major iOS releases, we abductively examine App developers’ responses following Apple's core component innovations. We document that, in post-release periods, complementors simultaneously increase co-innovation on iOS while being more likely to multihome by diversifying to the competing platform. These choices are further explained by whether architectural changes reflect cross-platform standardization or platform-specific differentiation. Standardization spurs both complementor co-innovation and multihoming, while differentiation reduces diversification tendencies. The patterns that we document reveal an important tension: governing through interfaces enables platforms’ scalability but constrains their ability to control complementors as platforms evolve. Managerial Summary: Digital platforms like Apple coordinate large scale innovation through standardized interfaces, but those interfaces must evolve as platforms compete, and the direction of that evolution has consequences managers should attend to. Analyzing Apple's five major iOS releases, we find that architectural changes are associated with increased co-innovation but also a higher likelihood that developers diversify to a competing platform. This pattern is particularly pronounced when updates bring iOS closer to Android, suggesting that architectural convergence may lower the barriers to cross-platform expansion for developers. Importantly, this behavior is strongest among highest-value developers. Platform managers should therefore treat architectural evolution not merely as a technical decision, but as a strategic one with direct implications for ecosystem loyalty, competitive differentiation, and the retention of valuable ecosystem partners. © 2026 The Author(s). Strategic Management Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Matching for impact: a dyadic process model of mentor–venture alignment in entrepreneurial support organizations

Yusubova A.; Dejardin M. Journal of Technology Transfer. DOI: 10.1007/s10961-026-10389-w.

Business incubators and accelerators (BIAs) play a central role in regional entrepreneurial ecosystems by providing mentoring to support new venture development, yet mentoring outcomes vary considerably. While prior research documents mentoring benefits, limited attention has been paid to how mentors and ventures are matched or how these processes shape outcomes. This study conceptualizes mentor–venture matching as a dyadic, co-constructed process and examines how alignment between mentors and ventures shapes the formation and evolution mentoring relationships and their outcomes. Drawing on a multi-stage qualitative research design involving interviews with program managers, twenty mentors, and twenty-one new ventures across twelve Belgian BIAs, as well as follow-up interviews with ventures, the study identifies distinct yet complementary selection criteria on both sides of the dyad. Mentors evaluate ventures based on experiential alignment, deep-level personal characteristics, and venture-specific attributes, whereas ventures assess mentors based on expertise, interpersonal qualities, and value alignment. The findings show that alignment across these dimensions is associated with different mentoring outcomes, ranging from short-term problem solving to access to networks, investment opportunities, and long-term professional collaborations. This study develops a process model explaining how early-stage matching conditions shape the depth, durability, and strategic value of mentoring relationships over time. By linking matching processes to differentiated outcomes, the study advances a dyadic perspective on entrepreneurial mentoring and contributes to research on entrepreneurial ecosystems by demonstrating how BIAs act as intermediaries shaping how mentoring relationships influence access to resources within entrepreneurial ecosystems. © The Author(s) 2026.

Distributed signal production in entrepreneurial ecosystems: evidence from Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa

Sarfo C.; Mamabolo A.; Owusu J.; Sarpong D.; Karimi W.; Nwanguma B. Journal of Technology Transfer. DOI: 10.1007/s10961-026-10395-y

Entrepreneurial ecosystem research has established that ecosystems influence venture development through networks, institutions, and support organizations, yet it offers limited explanation of how ecosystems shape the evaluative processes through which ventures gain access to finance and markets. This limitation is particularly consequential in emerging economies, where institutional conditions make conventional indicators of venture quality difficult to interpret, increasing uncertainty for resource gatekeepers. We address this gap by examining how entrepreneurial ecosystems shape venture credibility when the institutional conditions that normally make entrepreneurial signals legible, enforceable, and consequential are weak. Drawing on an abductive qualitative analysis of 174 semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs, commercial banks, development finance institutions, corporate buyers, incubator and accelerator leaders, university entrepreneurship programmes, mentors, and public agencies across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, we develop a process model of distributed signal production. We show that entrepreneurial ecosystems function as distributed evaluative infrastructures that construct the evidentiary basis through which venture quality becomes credible to resource gatekeepers. Ecosystem actors accomplish this through three mechanisms: institutional signal substitution, structured signal amplification, and signal brokerage and conversion. These mechanisms explain how ecosystems construct, strengthen, and coordinate venture credibility while revealing why credible signals do not always translate into resource access under conditions of institutional weakness. Our findings advance entrepreneurial ecosystem literature by explaining how ecosystems shape evaluative processes rather than simply providing resources, extend signaling theory by demonstrating that signal production is distributed across heterogeneous ecosystem actors, and show how institutional conditions influence the conversion of credible signals into entrepreneurial opportunities. © The Author(s) 2026.

Ecosystems and networks in merger and acquisition research: grappling with an integrative context

Öberg C. Journal of Strategy and Management. DOI: 10.1108/JSMA-11-2025-0451.

Purpose – Merger and acquisition (M&A) activities continue to reshape resource control and ownership, with the ongoing development of business operations prompting more integrative perspectives. Such perspectives involve the inclusion of contextual factors beyond institutional or competition-based frameworks. Ecosystems and networks provide a means to problematize integrative business approaches. This paper examines how ecosystems and networks are incorporated and understood within the field of M&A research. Design/methodology/approach – A co-citation analysis of 57, 035 publications cited in 1, 194 articles was conducted to gain insights into the conceptualizations of ecosystems and networks in the M&A literature. Findings – The paper reveals a growing inclusion of ecosystems and networks in M&A research. However, most studies primarily acknowledge their existence rather than examining their actual impact on M&A activities, often treating them as mere assets rather than as interdependent and interactive entities. The co-citation analysis further indicates that while diverse conceptualizations of ecosystems and networks are partially recognized, the overall understanding remains fragmented. This fragmentation poses a challenge for advancing knowledge on integrative, contextual perspectives in M&A research. Originality/value – This paper provides a structured overview of ecosystem and network inclusion and conceptualization in M&A research, highlighting the various perspectives and underscoring the need for further exploration of their implications for M&A studies, along with a broader recognition of the diversity inherent in these concepts. © 2026 Christina Öberg

Platform development in incumbent firms: The interplay of data and actor interests in adding platforms to existing businesses

Fraser J.; Altman E.J.; Ozcan P. Strategic Management Journal. DOI: 10.1002/smj.70124.

Research Summary: Despite growing interest in platform transitions, limited research examines how firms navigate challenges of building platform businesses alongside existing products. Through a longitudinal case study of a financial services firm launching a platform, we develop a process model revealing how data bottlenecks shape platform development. These bottlenecks arise from the interplay of technological limitations and control tensions over data aggregation, sharing, and usage. We identify five sequential bottlenecks, where resolving one reconfigures constraints, giving rise to the next. We theorize how data heterogeneity, variation in strategic sensitivity, and actors' absorptive capacity create opportunities for platform sponsors to capture value without competing with complementors. We extend resource dependency theory by showing how peripheral units overcome power imbalances by demonstrating value creation potential with limited data. Managerial Summary: When established firms launch platforms alongside existing product businesses, they face significant data-related obstacles. Drawing on a four-year study of a financial services firm building a platform connecting SMEs with lenders, we show how firms must navigate challenges in collecting data from internal units and customers, making incompatible data sources work together, and persuading partners to share and use data in new ways. We find that these obstacles emerge in sequence, where resolving one creates the conditions for the next. We also find that not all data is equally useful to all partners, and that these differences can open market segments the platform sponsor can serve without competing with its own partners. Managers can maintain momentum by combining short-term data workarounds with longer-term structural solutions. © 2026 The Author(s). Strategic Management Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Value creation and capture in artificial intelligence-enabled ecosystems

Kapoor R.; Raj M. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. DOI: 10.1002/sej.70057.

Research Summary: We develop an ecosystem perspective on AI-enabled value creation, grounded in AI's characteristics as a general-purpose technology. We consider that AI can support multiple value propositions realized through distinct but interconnected ecosystems. Within this structure, AI innovators face choices concerning which value propositions to support, whether to pursue them through general-purpose or specialized offers, and whether to make those offers open or closed. Users, in turn, are strategic actors facing choices among alternative ecosystem configurations of focal offers and complements through which the same value proposition might be realized. These choices by innovators and users may alter ecosystem roles and competitive relationships over time. We conclude by outlining research opportunities for strategy and innovation scholars examining how firms create and capture value in AI-enabled ecosystems. Managerial Summary: Value creation with AI depends not only on the technology's capability but on the actors whose combined contributions deliver a value proposition. AI supports many value propositions, each through its own ecosystem, with some elements shared across them. AI innovators choose which value propositions to serve, whether to do so through general-purpose or specialized offers, and whether to make their offers open or proprietary. User firms choose among alternative configurations of offers and complements through which the same value proposition can be realized. These choices may shift the competitive relationships between actors within an ecosystem over time. This perspective surfaces questions of relevance for scholars and practitioners regarding value creation and capture with AI. © 2026 The Author(s). Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Strategic Management Society.

Advancing Industrial Symbiosis: The Dynamic Role of Public Organisations

Drugge H.; Reim W. Business Strategy and the Environment. DOI: 10.1002/bse.71681.

Industrial symbiosis is a key circular economy strategy that relies on collaboration among diverse actors to turn residual streams into new value. Although prior research acknowledges supportive public-sector involvement, there is a lack of understanding of how public organisations' roles evolve over time as industrial symbiosis initiatives develop. This study addresses this gap through a qualitative case study of a regional industrial ecosystem in northern Sweden. Drawing on 25 interviews with public organisations, support actors and producers, five distinct public-sector roles are identified (policymaker, facilitator, knowledge broker/data provider, participant and financier). The study shows that roles shift across industrial symbiosis development phases, and a framework is developed that links role configurations to phase-specific barriers. The study contributes by conceptualising public organisations as dynamic ecosystem actors and by offering a practical framework that helps public organisations to align roles with evolving ecosystem needs to support long-term circular economy transformation. © 2026 The Author(s). Business Strategy and the Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The twins paradox. Digitalisation, sustainability and the growth of European SMEs

Corrocher N.; Mancusi M.L. Industry and Innovation. DOI: 10.1080/13662716.2026.2672377.

This paper investigates the impact of digitalisation and sustainability strategies on firm performance, focusing on European SMEs. While digital and green transitions are increasingly promoted as mutually reinforcing paths to competitiveness and resilience, evidence on their actual synergies at the firm level remains mixed. Using data from the European Commission’s Flash Eurobarometer 486 survey, we assess the extent to which digital and sustainability strategies–individually and jointly–contribute to turnover growth. Our results show that digitalisation is consistently associated with improved firm performance, confirming its enabling role for growth and innovation. In contrast, we do not find a link between sustainability efforts and growth, and we find no evidence of complementarities between the two strategies: firms pursuing both do not achieve superior growth outcomes compared to those focusing solely on digitalisation. These findings suggest that SMEs often treat digitalisation and sustainability as distinct, rather than integrated, strategic domains–thus missing potential synergies. © 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The role of green technology innovation, R&D, and renewable energy in Sweden’s economic competitiveness

Gaybullaev O.; Were H.O. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. DOI: 10.1007/s10098-026-03605-6

Sustaining long-term economic competitiveness depends on innovation and efficient resource use; yet, the role of green technology innovation (GTI) in enhancing productivity remains underexplored. This study examines the effect of GTI, research and development (R&D) expenditure, and renewable energy consumption on Sweden’s economic competitiveness, using total factor productivity (TFP) as a proxy, over the period 1993–2022. The novelty of this research lies in its country-specific, mechanism-oriented analysis and the combined use of the augmented autoregressive distributed lag (A-ARDL) framework and frequency-domain Granger causality (FDC). This approach allows us to capture both the average long-run effects and the temporal dynamics of the relationships. The findings reveal that GTI and R&D expenditure have positive and significant long-run effects on TFP, demonstrating that sustained technological innovation and knowledge accumulation are associated with productivity growth, while renewable energy has a negative and statistically insignificant impact. In the short run, environmental technologies and R&D temporarily reduce TFP due to adjustment costs and delayed returns to innovation, whereas renewable energy adoption yields immediate efficiency gains. FDC analysis shows bidirectional causality between GTI and TFP and unidirectional causality from renewable energy to TFP, with persistent long- and medium-term effects. This underscores the importance of coordinated policies that integrate GTI, R&D, and renewable energy adoption to support sustainable productivity growth and economic competitiveness. © The Author(s) 2026.

Indicators of Innovation and Innovation Measurement

Som O. Handbook of Innovation: Perspectives from the Social Sciences. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-11405-1_13

Innovation is indispensable for firms and national economies to maintain their international competitiveness. Consequently, the capacity to measure innovation activities and outcomes, thereby enabling corporate management and public policymakers to steer innovation processes deliberately, has acquired renewed urgency. Building on contemporary theoretical advances, this chapter offers a structured review of the most prevalent measurement approaches at both macroeconomic and firm levels. At the national level, it discusses traditional input-oriented indicators, such as R&D expenditure and human capital, outcome indicators, such as patent statistics and high-technology export shares, and composite indexes exemplified by the Global Innovation Index. At the corporate level, the survey covers product, process, organizational, and marketing innovations, drawing on the Oslo Manual, community innovation surveys, and balanced scorecard extensions. Methodological strengths and limitations were assessed with respect to data availability, sectoral comparability, time-lag effects, and the ability to capture nontechnological innovation. This review reveals persistent blind spots, notably in measuring service innovation, digital platform ecosystems, and open innovation interactions across organizational boundaries. The chapter concludes by delineating a future research agenda that prioritizes dynamic multidimensional metrics that are capable of integrating social and environmental impacts into innovation performance. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Pathways to sustainable business model transformation: corporate governance, strategic leadership and business strategy

Osei A. Journal of Business Strategy. DOI: 10.1108/JBS-12-2024-0259.

Purpose – In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, firms face increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices, with the circular economy (CE) model emerging as a transformative pathway toward environmental and economic resilience. This study aims to investigate the role of governance mechanisms, particularly board and chief executive officer (CEO) dynamics, in enhancing CE performance among manufacturing firms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In addition, it examines the moderating role of business strategy in the relationship between governance mechanisms and CE performance, with a focus on innovation, resource efficiency and operational sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis uses panel data from 6,929 firm-year observations and applies dynamic panel estimation techniques, including the system generalized method of moments, to assess the effects of governance, leadership and strategy on CE performance. To strengthen causal inference and ensure robustness, this study incorporates lagged variables, two-stage least squares, propensity score matching and generalized least squares. Findings – The results show that board interlock, independence, expertise, CEO foreign experience and external roles significantly enhance CE performance, while concentrated ownership and long CEO tenure constrain it. Business strategy acts as both a direct driver of CE adoption and a moderator that amplifies governance and leadership effects. Heterogeneity across industries reveals that governance plays a stronger role in resource-intensive sectors such as energy and chemicals, while consumer-driven sectors such as food and beverages are shaped more by market pressures and regulatory demands. Originality/value – This study extends agency theory by showing that governance mechanisms can act as both enablers and barriers to CE adoption and refines the resource-based view by demonstrating that leadership attributes are valuable resources only when contextually relevant and practically applied. By situating these dynamics within the institutional realities of the MENA region, this study reveals how governance and leadership can substitute for weak institutions, while business strategy serves as a catalyst that translates governance potential into sustainability outcomes. The findings advance theoretical understanding of the governance–sustainability nexus and provide actionable insights for managers, policymakers and stakeholders aiming to accelerate CE adoption and support sustainability transitions in emerging markets. © 2026 Emerald Publishing Limited

History and Operational Mechanisms in the Video Game Industry: The Case of the Turin Cluster

Costalunga N.; Fassone R. Creative Clustering and the Video Games Industry. DOI: 10.4324/9781003669982-10

The video game production industry has gained significant importance both globally and nationally, and this is also evident in Turin, a major city in north-western Italy. In recent years, a de facto video game cluster has emerged there, bringing together actors essential to the development and sustainability of the local and national industry. Turin occupies a distinctive position within the Italian context. It benefits from a strategic geographic location and infrastructures suited to the development of innovative sectors within the cultural and creative industries. The city also hosts a network of established public and private training institutions that produce a strong pool of talent, alongside a pre-existing community of small and medium-sized video game developers connected through informal networks. In addition, a business accelerator and several university spin-offs operate specifically in this field. Despite these strengths, several challenges remain. Turin's relatively modest urban scale, the limited economic weight of the sector within the local economy, and a shortage of both public and private investment constrain further growth. One of the sector's key weaknesses is its lack of public recognition, as Turin remains strongly associated with its historical identity as “Italy's automotive city” and its enduring Fordist legacy (Bertacchini, 2012). Drawing on semi-structured interviews and media-historical analysis, this chapter reconstructs the history and functioning of Turin's video game production cluster. © 2027 selection and editorial matter, Darshana Jayemanne; Gregor White; individual chapters, the contributors.

The good, the green and the costly: understanding the limits of environmental strategies in industrial clusters

del-Corte-Lora V.; Martínez-Cháfer L.; Molina-Morales F.X. Competitiveness Review. DOI: 10.1108/CR-03-2026-0190

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how proactive environmental strategies and environmentally related relationships influence competitive advantage among firms in the Spanish ceramic tile cluster of Castellón. Design/methodology/approach – The authors surveyed a population of 189 firms in the Spanish ceramic tile cluster and obtained 71 valid responses. They were able to measure competitive advantage, proactive environmental strategy (PES) and environmentally related relationships (ERR) with Likert scales. Hierarchical and quadratic regression models tested linear and nonlinear effects of PES and ERR on competitive advantage, controlling for size and subsector. Findings – The results show a positive relationship between PES, ERR and competitive advantage. Additional quadratic analyses reveal partial and suggestive evidence of diminishing returns, especially for PES. These effects become clearer in robustness checks using principal component scores, but they are not fully consistent across all specifications. Research limitations/implications – The results are based on a single cluster and do not differentiate among value-chain actors, suggesting that future research should explore other contexts and actor types. Practical implications – Managers and policymakers should support environmental initiatives while monitoring whether additional environmental investments continue to generate competitive benefits. Social implications – Clarifying the potential limits to green returns can help design more efficient environmental policies and collaborative schemes in industrial clusters. Originality/value – This study integrates resource-based and cluster literatures to show that the strategic benefits of “being green” in an industrial district are bounded, thereby reconciling mixed prior evidence on environmental proactivity and performance. It highlights the need to understand the limits and marginal returns of internal and relational environmental efforts. © 2026 Emerald Publishing Limited

Regional Innovation Systems and Innovation Clusters

Heidenreich M.; Mattes J. Handbook of Innovation: Perspectives from the Social Sciences. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-11405-1_44

Production and innovations are often regionally concentrated. While the cluster approaches focus primarily on the specialization and transaction cost advantages due to regional agglomeration effects, the concept of regional innovation systems (RIS) also emphasizes the importance of localized, interactive, institutionally embedded learning processes among companies and customers, and the institutional provision of various collective goods. Particularly important are high-quality training and research institutions, regional associations that act as network facilitators, regionally available banks and financial service providers, and economic, technology transfer, and innovation policies, as shown by the example of Baden-Württemberg. The RIS approach highlights the central importance of regional networks, local bases of knowledge and experience, regional proximity, and regional institutions even in a global knowledge society. Multinational enterprises, which are often regionally or nationally embedded, play a crucial role in such an economy. At the same time, they play an important role for opening up economic regions for worldwide exchange and innovation transforming regional innovation systems in nodes of a globally linked knowledge society. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Place-based institutional work in sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems: Evidence from an Italian rural ecosystem

Di Santo N.; Annosi M.C.; Sisto R.; Appio F.P. Long Range Planning. DOI: 10.1016/j.lrp.2026.102690.

Sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems (SEEs) are increasingly understood as place-based configurations in which firms, institutions, and intermediaries pursue economic, social, and environmental objectives simultaneously. Yet, little is known about how coordination among heterogeneous actors emerges, how firm-level strategies scale into ecosystem-level governance arrangements, and how such arrangements are reproduced and stabilized over time. Addressing this gap, we examine how firm-level strategies evolve into ecosystem governance arrangements and how these are recursively reproduced through ongoing institutional work, shaping subsequent firm behavior. Empirically, we draw on an in-depth qualitative study of the Local Action Group (LAG) Daunia Rurale 2020 in Southern Italy, based on 28 interviews with firm owners and ecosystem stakeholders, complemented by observational and archival data. Our findings show that ecosystem governance emerges through the interplay between LAG-led coordination efforts and firms’ place-based practices of territorial valorization. We identify four recurring patterns of place-based institutional work through which incumbent firms translate firm-level strategies into ecosystem-level governance arrangements: multilateral dependency with the LAG, strategic territorial commitment, community-based value creation, and the enactment of territorial value logics through practices and coordination support. These patterns progressively scale into two ecosystem-level governance dynamics: the emergence of legitimate ecosystem embeddedness and the stabilization of a territorial value logic in ecosystem governance. We further show how these governance arrangements recursively shape subsequent firm behavior and participation. By theorizing governance as an emergent, stabilized, and recursively reproduced accomplishment rather than a pre-existing backdrop, this study contributes to research on entrepreneurial ecosystems, sustainable entrepreneurship, and place-based strategy. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd.