Understanding the transformation of market ecosystems
This research theme examines how markets are formed, organized, and transformed over time. It starts from the premise that markets are not uniform structures, but diverse systems that can operate in different ways and deliver different types of value.
As markets expand across sectors and geographies, they become increasingly interconnected, forming complex market ecosystems. At the same time, market-based societies are subject to growing scrutiny, with debates about their role, limits, and consequences becoming more prominent.
Two major forces are driving current transformations: digitalization and sustainability challenges. These developments are reshaping existing markets, creating new ones, and altering how economic activity is organized.
Key dynamics
Market ecosystems today are characterized by increasing complexity, interdependence, and change. Digital technologies enable new forms of coordination and interaction, while climate-related challenges place new demands on how markets function and what they deliver.
These dynamics raise fundamental questions about how markets should be structured, how they are regulated, and whose interests they serve.
Research focus
The research theme aims to identify and explain patterns of change in market ecosystems. Key areas of focus include:
- Sustainability transitions
How market ecosystems evolve in response to environmental and social challenges, and how sustainability is defined and assessed within different contexts. - Digital transformation
How digitalization reshapes markets, business models, and the interaction between public and private actors. - Infrastructure and coordination
How digital and physical infrastructures enable or constrain market development and transformation. - Regulation and governance
The role of rules, norms, and institutions in shaping markets, and how regulatory frameworks adapt to new conditions. - Power and participation
How transformations affect different stakeholder groups, including firms, consumers, regulators, and third parties. - Strategy and market shaping
The strategies available to firms and other actors to influence and reshape market ecosystems, including business model innovation.
Purpose
By studying these processes, the research contributes to a better understanding of how market ecosystems evolve and how they can be shaped to support sustainable, inclusive, and effective economic systems.