OWP 2022: Leading For the Future

Q&A →Strategy On your journey towards future readiness, consider platforms and ecosystems – powerful approaches to leverage external partners – to create and capture value. PLATFORMS AND ECOSYSTEMS: HOW TO BUILD AND PROFIT FROM THEM MARK GREEVEN Professor of Innovation and Strategy and CEO of IMD China WHAT IS YOUR HOT TOPIC? Although as terms they’re often used together in the digital world, platforms and ecosystems are not the same thing. Knowing the difference (a platform is an asset of business that removes friction from the market, while an ecosystem is a group of firms that are linked through their business activity or expertise) could be key in how you approach your digital strategic plan. WHY DOES THIS MATTER NOW? As a business leader, it’s important to understand the problem you’re trying to solve and then decide if platforms and/or ecosystems are the right approach. Both platforms and ecosystems offer ways to leverage external partners to create and capture value.

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