Critical enablers for the development of sectoral innovation ecosystems: a conceptual framework

Abstract

Recently, there has been a surge of interest in developing innovation ecosystems within targeted industry sectors to enhance national industry capabilities. However, academic discussions on innovation ecosystems within a sectoral context are notably lacking. Past research has primarily focused on innovation ecosystems centered around a single organization, initiated and led by the same organization. This study aims to address this gap by examining the enablers of sectoral innovation ecosystems (SIE) development. A systematic literature review was conducted using 57 empirical studies from the Web of Science database between 2010-2023. The study proposes a conceptual framework with three critical enablers for developing SIE: (1) Structural configurations (structural constructs and structural alignment), (2) capabilities (organizational capabilities and ecosystem capabilities), and (3) interactions (nature of interactions and drivers of interactions). This framework provides a comprehensive understanding of how sectoral innovation ecosystems can be structured and managed to enhance industry capabilities. The study underscores the pivotal role of intermediary organizations in orchestrating SIE development, highlighting their importance in facilitating interactions and aligning structures within the ecosystem. By advocating for the complementary use of structure-based and coevolution-based approaches, the study offers a dual perspective that enriches the theoretical understanding of SIE. The systematic literature review concludes with recommendations for future research, providing a pathway for further exploration of SIE.