TY - JOUR T1 - Platforms for Innovation and Internationalization JF - Technology Innovation Management Review Y1 - 2017 A1 - Erik Stavnsager Rasmussen A1 - Nicolaj Hannesbo Petersen KW - globalization KW - innovation KW - internationalization KW - lean and global startups KW - lean startup KW - platform AB - The high-tech global startup has many challenges related to both innovation and internationalization. From a Danish cluster of Welfare Tech firms, eight innovative and international firms were selected and interviewed. Such firms typically have to be agile and operate in virtual networks in almost all parts of their value chains. This article contributes to the understanding of how innovation and internationalization to a great extent are interlinked. The firms have developed a core product or service offering, which the firms often describe as “a platform”. Around the platform, they develop their products and services for new customers and users in new countries. The firms have to sustain a strong focus on the platform while at the same time developing their platform solution for new products, new customers, and new markets. This pivoting makes it possible to use the platform in a new context but is highly demanding for the firms. They need to be extremely agile and fast-moving but at the same time still to have a focus on the core of the firm: the platform. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa VL - 7 UR - http://timreview.ca/article/1074 IS - 5 U1 - University of Southern Denmark Erik S. Rasmussen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing and Management at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. He received his PhD in 2001 from the University of Southern Denmark, focusing on fast-internationalizing small and medium-sized firms. His research focuses especially on international entrepreneurship and born-global firms. In recent years, he has particularly focused on studying international entrepreneurs that can avoid domestic path dependence by establishing ventures that, from the beginning, develop routines for a multi-cultural workforce, coordinate resources across nations, and target customers in several geographic places simultaneously. Furthermore, he has published a number of articles about lean and global startups combining the lean startup and born-global theories. U2 - University of Southern Denmark Nicolaj Hannesbo Petersen is a PhD student in the Department of Marketing and Management at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. A particular focus of the project is on innovation and internationalization processes anchored in the structure of relationships among SMEs. The network perspective is concentrated on a Danish publicly funded welfare/health technology cluster. Central aspects of the work include how and why embedded opportunities and constraints evolve and are made sense of through the network for economic action. Nicolaj’s work experience was gained from practice through innovation consultancy in the venture capitalist industry. ER -