The maritime shipping industry, responsible for 80% of global trade, faces the critical challenge of achieving net-zero emissions while operating with thin profit margins, aging infrastructure, and legacy systems. This study investigates how AI-driven technologies can enable sustainable business model innovation within the Dutch maritime shipping ecosystem, addressing growing regulatory pressures including and decarbonization targets.

Using a qualitative grounded theory approach, this research conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with decision-makers from 13 organizations across the maritime ecosystem, including shipping operators, technology providers, and more. Data analysis followed the Gioia methodology, allowing themes to emerge organically through iterative coding and theoretical development.

The study reveals that successful transformation requires collaboration among distinct ecosystem roles, with Maritime Service Operators at the center supported by Digital Transformation Partners, Port & Infrastructure Managers, and more roles which were identified in the study.

The research culminates in a three-level transformation approach progressing from business model assessment through collaborative AI-enabled innovations to measurable sustainable benefits. The framework demonstrates that operational efficiency and sustainability are mutually reinforcing, with early adopters achieving benefits, such as fuel consumption reduction, enhanced predictive maintenance, improved regulatory compliance, and access to green financing.

This research provides structured guidance for practitioners seeking AI adoption without compromising operational stability, supports policymakers in accelerating decarbonization goals, and advances digital servitization knowledge in conservative industries.

Sustainable and digital manufacturing is gaining traction. This shift has increased interest in
digital servitization, the strategic transformation process of industrial firms and their ecosystems.
Digital servitization integrates business model innovation, ecosystem orchestration, and
digital technologies. The process enables firms to integrate digital services into their business
models, taking advantage of technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence,
and cloud computing to drive operational efficiency, resource optimization, and new revenue
streams.
Although additive manufacturing is widely recognized for its potential to enhance material
efficiency, reduce waste, and enable circular economy principles, its integration with digital
servitization remains underexplored. This study investigates how digital servitization contributes
to sustainable benefits in the manufacturing industry and how firms can structure its
adoption within an additive manufacturing ecosystem.
Using an exploratory single-case study approach, the research examines a laser powder bed
fusion additive manufacturing ecosystem orchestrated by a leading original equipment manufacturer.
The study draws on 25 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including industry
executives, supply chain actors, and independent experts. Thematic analysis, following the
Gioia methodology, identifies key enablers, barriers, and pathways to the adoption of digital
servitization in an industrial ecosystem.
The findings highlight that digital servitization fosters sustainable benefits by enabling business
model transformation, ecosystem-wide coordination, and digital technology integration. However,
its successful implementation requires a structured, staged approach in which business
model innovation precedes ecosystem orchestration and adoption of digital technology. The
study proposes a framework that guides firms through this transformation, emphasizing the
need for strategic alignment between these three pillars. In addition, it identified key challenges
such as the reluctance to share data, difficulties in demonstrating return on investment, and
limitations on interoperability.
This research contributes to the theoretical discourse by extending digital servitization research
beyond firm-level implementations and providing empirical validation of its role in enabling
sustainability in manufacturing ecosystems. It also offers actionable information for industrial
firms, policymakers, and technology providers on how to systematically adopt digital servitization
strategies to improve economic, environmental, and social sustainability. By bridging
the gap between theoretical frameworks and industrial implementation, this study advances
the understanding of how digital servitization can be effectively leveraged to drive sustainable
industrial transformation.