IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/respol/v49y2020i1s0048733319301532.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exaptation in a digital innovation ecosystem: The disruptive impacts of 3D printing

Author

Listed:
  • Beltagui, Ahmad
  • Rosli, Ainurul
  • Candi, Marina

Abstract

This research investigates disruptive innovation through the under-explored relationship between two ecological concepts, exaptation and ecosystems. Exaptation-driven innovation involves exploiting unintended latent functions of pre-existing technologies. Digital innovation ecosystems account for industry-spanning co-operative and competitive dynamics among firms related to innovations that combine physical and digital elements, such as 3D printing. In this work the evolution of the 3D printing ecosystem is traced over four decades, from the first patents—presented as exaptation-driven innovations—to the present threat of disruption to established manufacturing. Through a longitudinal narrative study of the formation and growth of this ecosystem, a four-phase process model is developed. This addresses gaps in the exaptation and disruptive innovation literatures with respect to innovation ecosystems. The implications for theory are that disruption requires an appropriate supporting ecosystem, but ecosystems take on a life of their own, so cultivating a healthy ecosystem means sowing the seeds of disruption within that ecosystem. For practice, this research highlights the managerial challenges of predicting disruption by exaptation-driven innovations and the constant competition for niches within ecosystems. For policy, it outlines implications concerning how best to support new innovation ecosystems and cultivate exaptation opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • Beltagui, Ahmad & Rosli, Ainurul & Candi, Marina, 2020. "Exaptation in a digital innovation ecosystem: The disruptive impacts of 3D printing," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:49:y:2020:i:1:s0048733319301532
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2019.103833
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733319301532
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.respol.2019.103833?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clarysse, Bart & Wright, Mike & Bruneel, Johan & Mahajan, Aarti, 2014. "Creating value in ecosystems: Crossing the chasm between knowledge and business ecosystems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1164-1176.
    2. Gabriel, Yiannis, 2000. "Storytelling in Organizations: Facts, Fictions, and Fantasies," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198297062, Decembrie.
    3. Satish Nambisan, 2017. "Digital Entrepreneurship: Toward a Digital Technology Perspective of Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(6), pages 1029-1055, November.
    4. Alessio Cozzolino & Gianmario Verona & Frank T. Rothaermel, 2018. "Unpacking the Disruption Process: New Technology, Business Models, and Incumbent Adaptation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(7), pages 1166-1202, November.
    5. Ron Adner & Rahul Kapoor, 2016. "Innovation ecosystems and the pace of substitution: Re-examining technology S-curves," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 625-648, April.
    6. Raghu Garud & Joel Gehman & Antonio Paco Giuliani, 2016. "Technological exaptation: a narrative approach," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(1), pages 149-166.
    7. Shahzad (Shaz) Ansari & Raghu Garud & Arun Kumaraswamy, 2016. "The disruptor's dilemma: TiVo and the U.S. television ecosystem," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(9), pages 1829-1853, September.
    8. Yuliya Snihur & Llewellyn D. W. Thomas & Robert A. Burgelman, 2018. "An Ecosystem‐Level Process Model of Business Model Disruption: The Disruptor's Gambit," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(7), pages 1278-1316, November.
    9. Herbert A. Simon, 1996. "The Sciences of the Artificial, 3rd Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262691914, December.
    10. Nicholas Dew, 2007. "Pre-adaptation, exaptation and technology speciation: a comment on Cattani (2006) ," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 16(1), pages 155-160, February.
    11. Lee, Keun & Malerba, Franco, 2017. "Catch-up cycles and changes in industrial leadership:Windows of opportunity and responses of firms and countries in the evolution of sectoral systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 338-351.
    12. Ron Adner & Rahul Kapoor, 2010. "Value creation in innovation ecosystems: how the structure of technological interdependence affects firm performance in new technology generations," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 306-333, March.
    13. Kenny Ching, 2016. "Exaptation dynamics and entrepreneurial performance: evidence from the internet video industry," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(1), pages 181-198.
    14. Koppman, Sharon & Leahey, Erin, 2019. "Who moves to the methodological edge? Factors that encourage scientists to use unconventional methods," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    15. Nicholas Dew & Saras D. Sarasvathy, 2016. "Editor's Choice Exaptation and niche construction: behavioral insights for an evolutionary theory," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(1), pages 167-179.
    16. Mastrogiorgio, Mariano & Gilsing, Victor, 2016. "Innovation through exaptation and its determinants: The role of technological complexity, analogy making & patent scope," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(7), pages 1419-1435.
    17. Andriani, Pierpaolo & Carignani, Giuseppe, 2014. "Modular exaptation: A missing link in the synthesis of artificial form," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1608-1620.
    18. Giovanni Bonifati, 2010. "'More is different', exaptation and uncertainty: three foundational concepts for a complexity theory of innovation," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(8), pages 743-760.
    19. Franzoni, Chiara & Sauermann, Henry, 2014. "Crowd science: The organization of scientific research in open collaborative projects," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 1-20.
    20. Gino Cattani, 2005. "Preadaptation, Firm Heterogeneity, and Technological Performance: A Study on the Evolution of Fiber Optics, 1970–1995," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(6), pages 563-580, December.
    21. Dedehayir, Ozgur & Mäkinen, Saku J. & Roland Ortt, J., 2018. "Roles during innovation ecosystem genesis: A literature review," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 18-29.
    22. Garud, Raghu & Gehman, Joel & Giuliani, Antonio Paco, 2014. "Contextualizing entrepreneurial innovation: A narrative perspective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1177-1188.
    23. Candi, Marina & Beltagui, Ahmad, 2019. "Effective use of 3D printing in the innovation process," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 80, pages 63-73.
    24. Fernando F. Suárez & James M. Utterback, 1995. "Dominant designs and the survival of firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(6), pages 415-430.
    25. Raghu Garud & Joel Gehman & Antonio Paco Giuliani, 2018. "Serendipity Arrangements for Exapting Science-Based Innovations," Post-Print hal-02570931, HAL.
    26. Ansari, Shahzad (Shaz) & Krop, Pieter, 2012. "Incumbent performance in the face of a radical innovation: Towards a framework for incumbent challenger dynamics," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(8), pages 1357-1374.
    27. Annabelle Gawer & Rebecca Henderson, 2007. "Platform Owner Entry and Innovation in Complementary Markets: Evidence from Intel," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(1), pages 1-34, March.
    28. Snihur, Yuliya & Thomas, Llewellyn D. W. & Burgelman, Robert A., 2018. "An Ecosystem-Level Process Model of Business Model Disruption: The Disruptor's Gambit," Research Papers 3662, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    29. Giuseppe Carignani & Gino Cattani & Giusi Zaina, 2019. "Evolutionary chimeras: a Woesian perspective of radical innovation," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(3), pages 511-528.
    30. Pierpaolo Andriani & Ayfer Ali & Mariano Mastrogiorgio, 2017. "Measuring Exaptation and Its Impact on Innovation, Search, and Problem Solving," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 320-338, April.
    31. Pierpaolo Andriani & Gino Cattani, 2016. "Exaptation as source of creativity, innovation, and diversity: introduction to the Special Section," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(1), pages 115-131.
    32. West, Joel & Kuk, George, 2016. "The complementarity of openness: How MakerBot leveraged Thingiverse in 3D printing," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 169-181.
    33. Fixson, Sebastian K. & Park, Jin-Kyu, 2008. "The power of integrality: Linkages between product architecture, innovation, and industry structure," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 1296-1316, September.
    34. Turnheim, Bruno & Geels, Frank W., 2019. "Incumbent actors, guided search paths, and landmark projects in infra-system transitions: Re-thinking Strategic Niche Management with a case study of French tramway diffusion (1971–2016)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(6), pages 1412-1428.
    35. Rahul Kapoor, 2013. "Persistence of Integration in the Face of Specialization: How Firms Navigated the Winds of Disintegration and Shaped the Architecture of the Semiconductor Industry," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 1195-1213, August.
    36. Andrew D. Brown, 1998. "Narrative, Politics and Legitimacy in an IT Implementation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(1), pages 35-58, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Codini, Anna Paola & Abbate, Tindara & Messeni Petruzzelli, Antonio, 2023. "Business Model Innovation and exaptation: A new way of innovating in SMEs," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    2. Omezzine, Fakher & Bodas Freitas, Isabel Maria, 2022. "New market creation through exaptation: The role of the founding team's prior professional experience," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    3. Aaltonen, Päivi Hanna Maria, 2020. "Piecing together a puzzle—A review and research agenda on internationalization and the promise of exaptation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    4. Tian Heong Chan & Shi-Ying Lim, 2023. "The Emergence of Novel Product Uses: An Investigation of Exaptations in IKEA Hacks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(5), pages 2870-2892, May.
    5. Simone, Cristina & Barile, Sergio & Grandinetti, Roberto, 2021. "The emergence of new market spaces: Brokerage and firm cognitive endowment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 457-466.
    6. Andriani, Pierpaolo & Kaminska, Renata, 2021. "Exploring the dynamics of novelty production through exaptation: a historical analysis of coal tar-based innovations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(2).
    7. Pinar Ozcan & Douglas Hannah, 2020. "Social Origins of Great Strategies Advertising Suppliers to Realize Disruptive Social Media Technology," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(3), pages 193-217, September.
    8. Han, Jin & Zhou, Haibo & Löwik, Sandor & de Weerd-Nederhof, Petra, 2022. "Building and sustaining emerging ecosystems through new focal ventures: Evidence from China's bike-sharing industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    9. James, Steffan & Liu, Zheng & Stephens, Victoria & White, Gareth R.T., 2022. "Innovation in crisis: The role of ‘exaptive relations’ for medical device development in response to COVID-19," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    10. Shi, Xianwei & Liang, Xingkun & Luo, Yining, 2023. "Unpacking the intellectual structure of ecosystem research in innovation studies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    11. Galvin, Peter & Burton, Nicholas & Nyuur, Richard, 2020. "Leveraging inter-industry spillovers through DIY laboratories: Entrepreneurship and innovation in the global bicycle industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    12. Shubha Patvardhan & J. Ramachandran, 2020. "Shaping the Future: Strategy Making as Artificial Evolution," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(3), pages 671-697, May.
    13. De Noni, Ivan & Ganzaroli, Andrea & Pilotti, Luciano, 2021. "Spawning exaptive opportunities in European regions: The missing link in the smart specialization framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(6).
    14. Hou, Hong & Shi, Yongjiang, 2021. "Ecosystem-as-structure and ecosystem-as-coevolution: A constructive examination," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    15. Uzunca, Bilgehan & Sharapov, Dmitry & Tee, Richard, 2022. "Governance rigidity, industry evolution, and value capture in platform ecosystems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(7).
    16. Thomas, Llewellyn D.W. & Autio, Erkko & Gann, David M., 2022. "Processes of ecosystem emergence," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    17. Dinçkol, Dize & Ozcan, Pinar & Zachariadis, Markos, 2023. "Regulatory standards and consequences for industry architecture: The case of UK Open Banking," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    18. Pushpananthan, Gouthanan & Elmquist, Maria, 2022. "Joining forces to create value: The emergence of an innovation ecosystem," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    19. Saeed Khanagha & Shahzad (Shaz) Ansari & Sotirios Paroutis & Luciano Oviedo, 2022. "Mutualism and the dynamics of new platform creation: A study of Cisco and fog computing," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 476-506, March.
    20. Petzold, Neele & Schmidt, Alexander Lennart & Scaringella, Laurent, 2023. "How to overcome the disruptor's dilemma: Exploring strategic alliance reconfiguration of new market entrants," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Exaptation; Disruption; Ecosystem; 3D printing; Digital; Modularity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:49:y:2020:i:1:s0048733319301532. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/respol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.