Taking Digital Ecosystems to SMEs A European case study

Abstract

The digital business ecosystem (DBE) project experimented with new ways of bringing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into a major R&D project. Such involvement is an important factor in projects where the R&D performers are not the exploiters. The project utilised the social capital of regional actors, and conceptualised a certain kind of SME, known as driver SMEs. The strategy adopted has worked for this project and has provided a basis for self-sustained post-project expansion. In doing so it has created a model that could easily be adopted by other projects, both in Digital Ecosystems and beyond.