The Impact of Controversies on the Evolution of Innovation Ecosystems: Findings from the Energy Industry

The concept of innovation ecosystems gained significant importance in academic research on strategy and practice over the last years. However, the evolutionary dynamics of ecosystems remain underinvestigated. For the purpose of this paper, the actor-network theory (ANT) is regarded as an appropriate tool since it allows researchers to analyze how actors interact due to their specific interests with each other and thus configure the ecosystem in its base. ANT further enlarges the perspective of handling actors, while it involves not only human but also non-human actors (i.e. technologies). This is a valuable and necessary feature while dealing with digital innovations such as virtual power plants (VPP). By analyzing three distinctive pathways of how controversies affect the innovation ecosystem of VPPs and the evolution of the technological components of the innovation, this interaction between human and non-human actors is highlighted. In consequence, our research emphasizes the significance of involving non-human actors into managerial strategies and the role they inherit for the evolution of ecosystems. Furthermore, the present research reveals that controversies are not only a moderating factor but also a constitutional one for the coevolution of the ecosystem as well as the innovation itself especially during the forming phases. With respect to recent research of the management of digital innovation, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the challenges managers are confronted when dealing with digital innovations and their respective ecosystems.