Digital Platform Grafting: Strategies for Entering Established Ecosystems

An introduction to the article: "Digital Platform Grafting: Strategies for Entering Established Ecosystems" by Joakim Björkdahl, Marcus Holgersson, and David J. Teece

https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2024/05/66-3...

California Management Review
Volume 66, Issue 3
https://cmr.berkeley.edu/browse/issue...

Digital platforms are often characterized as enablers of new ecosystems. However, platforms are sometimes introduced into pre-existing ecosystems, where a platform’s ability to harmonize with the ecosystem is critical for its success. This article draws on the case of digital healthcare platforms and introduces the concept of platform grafting, which denotes the process of integrating a new platform into a pre-existing ecosystem, leading to a coevolutionary process of adapting both the platform and the surrounding ecosystem. Dynamic capabilities are critical for successfully integrating the platform into the ecosystem, and this article provides a capabilities framework for understanding platform grafting.