The formation phase of an innovation ecosystem : the example of the software ecosystem of the German automotive industry

This paper examines the changes in the innovation ecosystem of the German automotive industry for the technology field of automotive software from the perspective of individual firms. The change of the innovation ecosystem of the German car industry through introduction of software-defined vehicles is being classified as a radical transformation. Focus of the analysis is the beginning formation of the software ecosystem in the German car industry. Based on qualitative data, three explorative company case studies on three leading German car manufacturers Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are presented. The exploratory case studies focus on company-centric innovation ecosystems of VW, BMW and Mercedes in the software sector which are integrated into an overall software innovation system of the German automotive industry. The case studies aim is to analyse the formation phase of the digital innovation ecosystem of German car manufacturers. It intends to contribute towards a further development of the innovation ecosystem concept and a better understanding of the formation phase of an innovation ecosystem