Developing Capabilities in Smart City Ecosystems: A multi-level approach

Abstract

Smart city projects require complex coordination of resources, but research on how capabilities form at the city-ecosystem level remains scarce. This article develops a multi-level approach to capability development in smart city ecosystems through an empirical study of London’s city data. We analyse the London case to discover how two ecosystem-level capabilities – data provisioning and data insights – developed through global, configural and shared aggregation processes. We find that the emergence process changes as the smart city ecosystem develops, requiring different coordination and resource mobilisation mechanisms at various stages. We contribute to the capability development and smart city literatures by focusing on ecosystem-level capabilities linked to collective city-level outcomes rather than the capabilities of the leading city authority. Insights from the study are of value to city authorities considering how to scale up and organise smart city initiatives in support of urban development goals.

Organizing for Smart City Development: Research at the crossroads. Introduction to the Special Issue

“…The article by Gupta et al (2023) also aligns with the broader interests of the community of organization studies in exploring the dynamics of interorganizational relationships. By examining the development of capabilities across a diverse set of actors within smart city collaborative ecosystems, including city authorities, organizations and citizens, the study contributes to the understanding of boundary crossing and knowledge exchange (Hong & Snell, 2013).…”

“…Second, Gupta et al (2023) highlight the need to examine the long-term sustainability and evolution of ecosystem capabilities. While their case study reaches a maturity phase characterized by integration, standardization and shared capabilities, uncertainty remains with regard to whether this phase will lead to stable and long-lasting capabilities or if further cycles of configural and shared aggregation processes are required for sustained development.…”

“…The article by Gupta, Panagiotopoulos, and Bowen (2023, this issue) focuses on the organization of ecosystem-level capabilities in smart city contexts, thus filling a research gap on how ecosystem capabilities form in urban environments. The authors adopt a multilevel approach and conduct a longitudinal case study of London’s city data ecosystem to observe the emergence and aggregation of two ecosystem-level capabilities: data provisioning and data insight.…”

“…The work of Gupta et al (2023) has significant implications for organization studies. First, it addresses a gap in the understanding of capability development at the city-ecosystem level.…”

“…This attempt responds to the research agenda proposed by Clegg et al (2016), which calls for a deeper understanding of how networks shape organizational phenomena. Gupta et al (2023) also address the role of intentional governance in strategic interorganizational network evolution. They emphasize the deliberate resource mobilization and coordination mechanisms required for the development of ecosystem-level capabilities.…”