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Business model design spaces in socio-technical transitions: The case of electric driving in the Netherlands

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  • Wesseling, Joeri H.
  • Bidmon, Christina
  • Bohnsack, René

Abstract

Whereas research acknowledges the potential of business model innovation (BMI) to destabilize an existing regime, the impact of a socio-technical system in transition on BMI remains under-conceptualized. To advance work in this direction, this study expands the concept of a business model design space (BMDS), which describes the opportunities and constraints to design novel ways of creating and capturing value from niche technologies available at a given point in time in a transition. Illustrated with the case of electric vehicles in the Netherlands, we show how BMI are affected by and, in turn, affect this design space. We find that the policy and the science and technology dimensions of the socio-technical system form hard boundaries to the BMDS that niche actors cannot directly overcome via BMI. Yet, BMI can push the softer industry, market, and cultural boundaries of the BMDS by supporting niche expansion via coupling novel technologies to business models that (i) conform to the current regime, or that (ii) attempt to transform the regime. This paper offers an analytical framework that connects firm- and system-level to support the exploration of questions like how much novelty niche actors can introduce into a ST-system at specific points in a transition.

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  • Wesseling, Joeri H. & Bidmon, Christina & Bohnsack, René, 2020. "Business model design spaces in socio-technical transitions: The case of electric driving in the Netherlands," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:154:y:2020:i:c:s0040162519303749
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2020.119950
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    Cited by:

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    2. Benzidia, Smaïl & Luca, Ruxandra Monica & Boiko, Sergiy, 2021. "Disruptive innovation, business models, and encroachment strategies: Buyer's perspective on electric and hybrid vehicle technology," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    3. Trotter, Philipp A. & Brophy, Aoife, 2022. "Policy mixes for business model innovation: The case of off-grid energy for sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(6).
    4. Büşra Buran & Mehmet Erçek, 2021. "Convergence or Divergence among Business Models of Public Bus Transport Authorities across the Globe: A Fuzzy Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-21, September.
    5. Guo, Jingjing & Zhou, Shasha & Chen, Jin & Chen, Qi, 2021. "How information technology capability and knowledge integration capability interact to affect business model design:A polynomial regression with response surface analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    6. Valery Michaux, 2022. "Transformations in the automotive sector: complex change, deeper reconfiguration or dangerous disruption? [Les six mutations du secteur automobile : simple transformation, reconfiguration plus prof," Post-Print hal-03736166, HAL.
    7. Shou, Yongyi & Zhao, Xinyu & Dai, Jing & Xu, Dong, 2021. "Matching traceability and supply chain coordination: Achieving operational innovation for superior performance," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    8. Ben Zhang & Lei Ma & Zheng Liu, 2020. "Literature Trend Identification of Sustainable Technology Innovation: A Bibliometric Study Based on Co-Citation and Main Path Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.

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