By Torben Haugaard Jensen, Communications Officer, AAU Business School

Members of assessment committee were:

• Associate Professor Dmitrij Slepniov, Aalborg University
  Business School (chair)
• Professor Xielin Liu, University of Chinese Academy
  of Sciences
• Associate Professor Agnieszka Radziwon, Aarhus University

Principal supervisor: Associate Professor Yimei Hu, Aalborg University Business School. 

Secondary supervisor: Professor Ping LV, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

Moderator: Associate Professor Jens Holmgren, Aalborg University Business School.

Summary of the Thesis

Innovation ecosystems have prompted increasing research attention due to their potential to foster innovation and growth. Complementors, value-adding actors enhancing an ecosystem's core value proposition, have emerged as significant actors.

However, comprehension of complementors’ attributes and interactions within ecosystems is limited and inconsistent. While their collaborative nature is typically emphasized, complementors can also engage in competition and even coopetition (i.e., simultaneous cooperation and competition), adding complexity to their participation.

This thesis dives into this gap, investigating how complementors navigate the interplay between cooperation and competition. Comprising four articles, the thesis explores the roles and dynamics of complementors in ecosystems, primarily focusing on the wind energy sector.  

It investigates the evolving nature of complementors’ interactions, their essential capabilities, and strategies for addressing innovation challenges.

The overarching theme highlights the significance of collaboration and alignment with complementors in fostering sustainable innovation within ecosystems.