Ecosystems for smart cities: tracing the evolution of governance structures in a dutch smart city initiative

Abstract

Smart cities use integrated information and communication technology in order to help their citizens and organizations deal with the challenges of urbanization, safety, and sustainability. Smart cities need complex forms of governance involving a great variety of actors. The aim of this study is to illustrate how elements of governance structures in smart city ecosystems evolve over time, and to understand in which way these elements enable or inhibit the success of such ecosystems in different phases of evolution. We draw on the ecosystem literature and the smart city literature to identify governance aspects relevant to projects with multiple stakeholders. We illustrate our framework with extensive empirical evidence from an in-depth single case study of a smart city initiative in The Netherlands. We find that the use of specific governance elements varies across the phases of evolution of the smart city ecosystem. In the initiation phase, governance structures aimed at strengthening the internal relations are key. In this phase, elements such as trust, commitment, and common goals are important as they help to create a common ground. In the growth phase, the ecosystem focuses on establishing external relations with other parties, such as competitors and suppliers. In this phase, governance elements such a co-creation strategy and a dedicated organization for promotion gain importance, as these elements facilitate communication with external parties.

The Importance of Collaborative Ecosystems to Boost ‘Smartness’ in Cities

“…✓ Use of technology, where digital technologies are mapped out for the applications of participatory processes, such as discussion forums and meetings, platforms, etc. Ooms et al [29] state the need for complex forms of governance to enable 'smartness' in cities where a great variety of actors are involved. Governance, however, is not merely one of a market economy; it includes processes at different levels, such as national and local policies that incorporate various strategies and initiatives [30].…”

“…For instance, innovation or knowledge, which range from knowledge-related ambitions to economic, social or territorial ones, [42] requires a more holistic approach to provide insight on how ecosystems enable the smart city development [43]. Ooms et al [29] examine the use of governance factors to stimulate 'city smartness' and how they have evolved through the time.…”

“…In addition to contemporary smart city literature, Ooms et al [29] use the term 'ecosystem' to analyse smart cities for three reasons: (1) a smart city resembles different kinds of ecosystems (e.g. innovation, knowledge, etc.)…”

Unveiling the Evolution of Innovation Ecosystems: An Analysis of Triple, Quadruple, and Quintuple Helix Model Innovation Systems in European Case Studies

“…Finally, we aim to reveal the potential relationships between the key barriers and drivers of the n-Helix case studies, in general, and propose alternative strategic options that could ameliorate the organizational mechanisms of the innovation ecosystems' approaches. From the other side, Ooms et al [3] highlight the importance of 'governan stimulate 'smartness'; thus, a city is viewed as an ecosystem composed of ph boundaries (location, geography, and topography), its population, and the inter flow (i.e., functions, society, growth, etc.) [11].…”

“…Nonetheless, the 'ecosystem' has a wide spectrum of interpretations varying fr technical to the more human-oriented and social approaches toward a 'smart' transformation [15] aiming at the benefits of the QoL and the long-term and 'intel city development [16]. To better visualize the design and implementation of 'sma From the other side, Ooms et al [3] highlight the importance of 'governance' to stimulate 'smartness'; thus, a city is viewed as an ecosystem composed of physical boundaries (location, geography, and topography), its population, and the interactive flow (i.e., functions, society, growth, etc.) [11].…”