En analys av industriframväxt : Insikter från Sea Traffic Management

As the twenty-first century continues to unfold, it is marked by unprecedented changes in technology, marketplaces, and competitiveness, offering business opportunities in new and existing industries. The emergence of new industries thus becomes an important field to study; yet it remains relatively neglected by researchers. Specifically, little is known about the shape and role of competition and cooperation in the early stages of industry formation.This paper aims to overcome these shortcomings by establishing which aspects are important to consider during the formation of an emerging industry, and how these may affect collaboration between competitors.A case study within the emerging industry of Sea Traffic Management was conducted, where the infrastructure necessary to enable real-time information sharing between vessels and ports have been the investigated system. Through 19 interviews and a survey aimed at nine customers, as well as from secondary data from reports, the actors in terms of competitors and customers have been mapped.Using this approach, we have found that values directly related to the paying customer are essential in an emerging industry, as other benefits further away in the value chain may be unknown at this stage. In that sense, an emerging industry differs from an already established one, where the latter implicates that values and actors are easier to identify. Furthermore, other aspects such as external factors have been proven vital to investigate. For instance, the development of new standards is central to an emerging industry, and thus an external factor largely influencing the positioning of competitors and customers within the industry.In order to unleash the full potential of an emerging industry, cooperation between competitors, so called co-opetition may become necessary. Industry shaping aspects previously identified shape these relationships and influence the direction of the industry, wherefore initiating new partnerships can enhance overall industry value and make it possible to meet customer demand. By studying strategic groups, it becomes possible to plot how such cooperation may be shaped in the early stages of industry emergence. It is argued that the inherent uncertainty of emerging industries further justifies such partnerships, as it allows companies to use less resources while still providing end-to-end solutions.Validerat; 20150630 (global_studentproject_submitter