Konrad von Szczepanski
Managing Director & Partner
London
Digital ecosystems are fundamentally changing how businesses collaborate and compete. Is your company ready to be part of an ecosystem—or to build one?
Companies once might have kicked off a joint venture or an alliance with a few industry partners to share risks or enter a new market, but now many companies collaborate in digital ecosystems of dozens or even hundreds of partners from several industries to bring their offerings to market.
In a digital ecosystem, many largely independent economic players join forces to create a digital offering that is more valuable than a single company’s product or service. Some digital ecosystems develop solutions—like a connected car or a smart home. Others bring together buyers and sellers on a digital platform.
This new collaboration model isn’t a fad; it’s the future of business. Many of the world’s largest companies are part of vast digital ecosystems that are disrupting not just their industries but broad swaths of the economy.
BCG helps companies looking to develop or participate in a digital ecosystem move from strategy to scale in less than 24 months.
To capitalize on the benefits of digital collaboration, companies must craft a forward-thinking digital ecosystem strategy, navigate the startup community to spot potential partners, and identify the partners that can make an immediate impact.
Because new technologies, partners, and competitors emerge all the time, it’s vital to adapt and pivot during the initial phases of ecosystem growth. We work with clients to create a flexible, agile model for designing, setting up, and governing a digital ecosystem.
Orchestrators of collaboration networks need to create a sense of community and trust while ensuring that all participants benefit. Value—whether it’s data, IP, or financial gain—must be shared to create strong and lasting partnerships.
Bringing Insight to Light for Malaysian Consumers
BCG collaborated with Celcom Axiata, one of Asia’s largest telecommunications companies, to transform a simple phone card into an e-wallet and lifestyle app called Boost. In less than two years, it became Malaysia’s leading cashless platform—a digital ecosystem of 17 banks and a growing list of more than 125,000 participating merchants.
LEARN ABOUT THE COLLABORATION
The Emerging Art of Ecosystem Management
Today’s “smart” products depend on collaborative networks. The challenge is setting up and managing these ecosystems and using them to maximize value—and gain a competitive edge.
What Does a Successful Digital Ecosystem Look Like?
Discover what separates the digital ecosystems that work from those that don’t.
The Dawn of the Deep Tech Ecosystem
A new deep tech ecosystem is taking shape, with big ramifications for all players, most notably companies, investors, and startups.
How Chinese Digital Ecosystems Battled COVID-19
Social media and e-commerce platforms responded to the pandemic by launching innovative apps and services, ramping up new technologies, and helping enterprises migrate online with remarkable speed.
