In a joint report by SKOLKOVO and MTS, prepared as part of the SKOLKOVO x MTS MOOVE programme, an ecosystem is understood as “a strategy in which independent business units operating at their own risk create joint value for consumers using common rules, tools and knowledge”.
Most theorists and practitioners associate the concept of a business ecosystem with digital economy and business models based on internet platforms such as Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Alibaba and others, the report notes.
This is what companies from traditional sectors of the economy, say, banking or telecom, have in mind now when they announce their transition to an ecosystem strategy, the authors of the document explain.
Vladimir Korovkin, Head of Innovation and Digital Technologies SKOLKOVO School of Management, clarifies that while only four companies in Russia now fit the definition of an ecosystem, many more can quickly develop into one if they make the appropriate strategic decision. Signs of an ecosystem can be found in almost any large business, says Korovkin.
The experts found that the concept of an "ecosystem" evokes mixed responses among businesses, and some companies deliberately avoid it. The authors of the report include, for example, Alfa-Bank, which has since last summer been developing a "superservice" - a technological platform based on principles of effective partnerships and integration with external players.
