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Corporate incubation for platform growth and the transition to platform scaling: between a rock and a hard place in the circular economy
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Umeå School of Business and Economics (USBE). Christopher Nicol and Angelos Kostis contributed equally..
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Umeå School of Business and Economics (USBE). SCANCOR & Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 482 Galvez Mall, CA, Stanford, United States; Christopher Nicol and Angelos Kostis contributed equally.; Christopher Nicol and Angelos Kostis contributed equally..ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5486-9017
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Umeå School of Business and Economics (USBE).
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Informatics.
2024 (English)In: Technological forecasting & social change, ISSN 0040-1625, E-ISSN 1873-5509, Vol. 208, article id 123651Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Digital platforms are arguably instrumental for the Circular Economy (CE), yet they frequently fail to deliver. An increasingly popular strategy for developing digital platforms is corporate incubation, where corporations invest in startups. Prior research has nonetheless paid scant attention to the role of corporate incubation in the evolution of digital platforms over time. To shed light on this, we conducted a qualitative case study of a digital platform incubated by one of the largest construction firms in Europe in the context of corporate incubation. Building on prior research suggesting that platform growth and platform scaling are distinct but often conflated phenomena, our analysis reveals four mechanisms through which corporate incubation enables platform growth and (ii) unpacks its role in transitioning to platform scaling. Drawing on boundary work theory, we offer a model explaining how the boundary work frames of organizational actors involved in corporate incubation influence the evolution of digital platforms over time. Our study contributes to the literature on digital platforms for CE by establishing corporate incubation as a promising yet challenging strategy for achieving platform growth, by deciphering the relational and temporal dynamics that condition platform scaling, and by conceptualizing digital platforms as entities performing boundary work.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2024. Vol. 208, article id 123651
Keywords [en]
Boundary work, Circular economy, Corporate incubation, Digital platforms, Growth, Scaling
National Category
Information Systems, Social aspects Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-228800DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123651ISI: 001296914900001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85201259080OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-228800DiVA, id: diva2:1893178
Funder
Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundation and Tore Browaldh Foundation, Fv23-0047Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundation and Tore Browaldh Foundation, W21-0008Available from: 2024-08-29 Created: 2024-08-29 Last updated: 2025-04-24Bibliographically approved

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Nicol, ChristopherKostis, AngelosLidström, JohanHolmström, Jonny

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Umeå School of Business and Economics (USBE)Department of Informatics
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Information Systems, Social aspectsBusiness Administration

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CiteExportLink to record
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