In this paper, we analyze how to orchestrate platform ecosystems in order to ensure the commercialization of constant flows of innovations. We focus on platform-owners and how they orchestrate the coupling process between the innovation part of the ecosystem and the business development part of the ecosystem. We apply a life-cycle perspective, analyzing how these two subsystems are dynamically aligned through this coupling process. Three emblematic case studies illustrate platform-owners' choices regarding the management of this coupling process. Existing accounts of ecosystem orchestration are quite scarce in the academic literature and do not systematically acknowledge that innovation and business development are subsystems. By considering the two parts of ecosystems, our paper contributes to a more fine-grained understanding of platform ecosystem orchestration.

Creating a digital platform to leverage the potential of an ecosystem is recognized as an effective strategy to optimize innovation efforts in the digital era. In this paper, we analyze how platform-based ecosystems can ensure the commercialization of a constant flow of digital innovations. Our contribution focuses the role of platform-owners and the way they orchestrate the coupling process between two subsystems of the ecosystem: the innovation factory (IF) and the business development (BizDev). We apply a life-cycle perspective, analyzing how the relationships between platform design, value creation and knowledge are dynamically aligned. Existing accounts of ecosystem dynamics are quite scarce in the academic literature and they do not systematically acknowledge these two subsystems. By considering the two parts of ecosystems, we contribute to a better understanding of platform-based ecosystem evolution’s process. Three case studies illustrate platform-owners’ choices regarding the management of the coupling process.