Investigating the bright side and dark side of the collaboration in digital servitization ecosystems in business models for connected cars

• Grant number: 22/08569-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Production Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Glauco Henrique de Sousa Mendes
• Grantee: Glauco Henrique de Sousa Mendes
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Diego Augusto de Jesus Pacheco ; Maicon Gouvea de Oliveira

Abstract

Servitization and digitization are recent trends that have generated changes in manufacturing companies. From the convergence between both trends, the concept of digital servitization emerged, which refers to the transformation of manufacturing companies to offer intelligent solutions (product-service-software systems). Digital servitization requires an effective collaboration among ecosystem actors in order to innovate and ensure that smart solutions can be successfully developed. While collaboration among the actors in the digital servitization ecosystem can generate mutual benefits and values (positive side); tensions, dilemmas and negative results (dark side) can also arise, compromising the achievement of expected goals. Digital servitization ecosystem is a critical topic in the digital servitization literature and it has clear practical implications for actors in the digital servitization ecosystem, especially for innovative business models such as connected cars. Therefore, this project aims to: (i) understand the benefits (positive side), conflicts, tensions, dilemmas and forms of value destruction (dark side) existing in the collaboration between the actors of the digital servitization ecosystem for connected cars; (ii) explain the strategies used by the main actors in the ecosystem to maximize benefits and resolve conflicts, tensions and dilemmas; identify the main focal relationships and the influence of focal actors; and (iii) propose a new conceptual framework for manifestations of the dark side in a digital servitization ecosystem for connected cars, linking conflicts/tensions to potential solution strategies. A combination of methods will be used to carry out the research: systematic literature review, research with experts and multiple case studies, with the results being evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. The main results are: (i) characterization of the benefits, challenges and strategies linked to collaboration in digital servitization ecosystems for connected cars; (ii) a set of management guidelines to maximize the positive side and overcome the manifestations of the dark side and (iii) promote research in an area that is still in its early stages. (AU)