Governance of Ecosystems

Shifting from industry- to ecosystem-based strategies is high on the agenda of many corporate boards; whether, as with many incumbents, to reposition themselves, or for upstarts to capitalize on change. As compelling as the strategic logic for ecosystems is, they are often complex and difficult to build and sustain. Lack of or inadequate governance is often cited as a major cause.

This book presents ten perspectives on ecosystem governance, bringing together viewpoints from practitioners and academics. It offers practical insights, introduces new perspectives, and invites readers to reflect on their own approaches to ecosystem governance.



Prof. Dr. Michael Hilb is Founder and CEO of DBP Group, a business group that develops growth platforms in Asia and Europe. He serves on various supervisory boards, including Klingelnberg and the Board Foundation, is Titular Professor at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and lectures on issues of strategy, entrepreneurship and corporate governance at universities in Asia and Europe. Michael graduated from the University of St. Gallen with an MSc and a PhD in Management, was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University and INSEAD and completed executive education programs at IMD, HBS and MIT.



Introduction 5

Section A: Foundations of Ecosystem Governance 9

From Corporate to Ecosystem Governance, Michael Hilb 11

Governing Democratized Platform Ecosystems, Kilian Schmück and Nicolas Gilgen 23

Section B: Business Perspectives on Ecosystem Governance 31

Multidextrous Strategy – How to Excel in Platform-driven Ecosystems, Michael Hilb 33

How to Successfully Launch a Digital Ecosystem Business – The Role of Communications, Karin Taheny 43

Section C: Organizational Perspectives on Ecosystem Governance 51

The Power of Power in Shaping Organizations, Michael Hilb 53

Driving Transversal Collaboration in Ecosystems, Nicolas Bürer 64

Section D: Legal Perspectives on Ecosystem Governance 71

The Group as a Guiding Model for Ecosystem Governance, Felix Horber and Christina Lusti . 73

The Association as a Guiding Model for Ecosystem Governance, Dante Alighieri Disparte . 80

Section E: Applications of Ecosystem Governance . 87

Leveraging Digital Ecosystems – How to Transform a Traditional Publisher into a Leading Ecosystem Player, Stefano Santinelli . 89

The Role of Governance to Grow Ecosystems – Lessons Learned from a Public-private Distributed Ledger Technology Journey, Ulrich Schimpel 98