%0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2017 %T Orchestrating Innovation Ecosystems: A Qualitative Analysis of Ecosystem Positioning Strategies %A Katri Valkokari %A Marko Seppänen %A Maria Mäntylä %A Simo Jylhä-Ollila %K actors %K collaboration %K ecosystems %K innovation %K orchestration %K positioning %K roles %K strategy %X This article explores how firms can orchestrate innovation ecosystems to enhance collaboration for innovation among different actors. Most previous research on ecosystems has focused on firm-level strategies to operate in an ecosystem rather than the composition or orchestration of an ecosystem as a whole. However, finding the balance between the self-interests of involved actors is critical in order to create collaborative settings that induce different parties to jointly develop and put their best efforts into a joint endeavour. Thus, we undertook a qualitative study with 35 case companies from the metal and engineering industries, each of whom was interested in developing their position in ecosystems and improving their relational business practices. The findings suggest that there is an essential ecosystem competence that is needed by all actors in an ecosystem, regardless of their position, and that is the ability to manage dynamic strategic interactions related to innovation. This competence enables them to ensure the future vitality of the ecosystem and their own business. These results highlight the need for managers to profile their own company’s role in an ecosystem in relation to the type of ecosystems, while simultaneously evaluating the ecosystem’s ability and potential to survive. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %V 7 %P 12-24 %8 03/2017 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/1061 %N 3 %1 VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Katri Valkokari is a Research Manager at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in the Business, Innovation and Foresight research area. Over the past 15 years, she has carried out several development projects concerning different networked business arrangements (ecosystems, networks, partnerships, and firms). In 2009, Katri completed her doctoral thesis on business network development. She has published several international and national articles in the research areas of business network management, collaboration, organizational knowledge, and innovation management. %2 Tampere University of Technology Marko Seppänen, PhD, is Vice Dean for Education at the Faculty of Business and Built Environment, and is a Full Professor in the field of industrial management at Tampere University of Technology, Finland. He is an expert in managing value creation in business ecosystems, business concept development, and innovation management. In his latest research, he has examined platform-based competition in business ecosystems and innovation management in business networks. His research has appeared in high-quality peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Product Innovation Management, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, the Journal of Systems and Software, and the International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management. %3 VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Maria Mäntylä (MSc Admin) is a Research Scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in the Innovations, Economy & Policy team. She obtained her master’s degree in Local and Regional Governance from the University of Tampere, Finland, in 2015. She also studied Social Sciences of Sport in the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Maria has been involved in various national and international research projects regarding innovation research, especially in the area of regional innovation systems. She is currently writing her doctoral thesis on sports technologies and innovation ecosystems at the University of Tampere. %4 Elisa Corporation Simo Jylhä-Ollila (MSc Tech) is an Analyst in Elisa Corporation’s Industrial IoT department. He holds a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Tampere University of Technology, Finland. Previously, he worked as a research assistant in Tampere University of Technology and worked in Elisa’s research team before moving into his current position in the company. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1061