From Knowledge Ecosystems to Capabilities Ecosystems: When Open Innovation Digital Platforms Lead to Value Co-creation

The paper investigates which types of capabilities open innovation digital platforms develop for supporting co-creation in open innovation processes, by enabling the shift from knowledge ecosystems to capabilities ecosystems. By examining the literature on the open innovation digital platforms, the paper develops a theoretical framework and advances propositions by underlining the specific required dynamic capabilities—sensing, seizing, scanning, integrating, and transformative—needed to facilitate and support the interactive coupled open innovation processes essential for firm co-creation activities. Research propositions are provided to address scholars toward new research paths on digital platforms, open innovation, and dynamic capabilities. Implications for practitioners involved in open innovation processes by using digital platforms are provided in the conclusion.