By bringing together elements of a radical new approach to the firm based on a biological metaphor of the ecosystem, this unique book extends the limits of existing theories traditionally used to investigate business networks. The book illustrates that like a biological system, a business ecosystem is a non-homogeneous community of entities made up of a large number of interconnected participants with different interests; they depend on each other for their mutual effectiveness and survival, and so are bound together in a collective whole. By applying this new paradigm - labelled the 'digital business ecosystem' - the book goes on to show:





methods used by companies to compete and cooperate within their market and technological environment
how modern businesses shape this environment through their deliberate actions and investment
the ways in which new digital technologies feed into the environment and influence how firms and groups of firms compete and cooperate.

Combining scientific depth with a rigorous and multidisciplinary approach, the contributors to this unique work take significant steps in opening up the debate on the digital business ecosystem concept. As such, this book will prove a fascinating resource for academics with an interest in technology and innovation management, economics of innovation, and economics of technological change.