기업생태계관점에서의 연구개발 전략과 플랫폼 리더십 : 대․중소기업 상생협력과 R&D에의 시사 (R&D Strategy and Platform Leadership at the Eco-business System : Implication for Cooperative Relationship between Large and Small Company)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국중소기업학회
· 수록지 정보 : 중소기업연구 / 31권 / 2호 / 157 ~ 175페이지
· 저자명 : 김기찬

초록

플랫폼이란 ‘나홀로(stand alone)'개발의 상대적 개념이다. 즉 플랫폼이란 비즈니스의 파트너들과 인터페이스들의 핵심자역할을 통해 가치를 창출하고 문제를 해결하게 한다. 플랫폼을 기반으로 생태계의 구성원들이 유기적으로 조합되게 되며, 공통의 인터페이스 집합이 이루어 지면서 기업생태계가 구성되게 된다. 본 연구는 이런 점에 착안하여 중소기업의 연구활동이 ‘나홀로(stand alone)'의 영역에서 벗어나 외부의 아이디어와 R&D자원을 활용하는 열린 혁신의 관점에서 플랫폼 리더십을 가지는 연구의 가능성을 제안하고자 하는 것이다. 플랫폼을 기반으로 기업생태계간 상생적 네트워크가 이루어지면 독자적으로 제조에 매진하는 것이 아니라 고객관점에서 솔루션을 파트너들과 함께 찾아가는 상생적 문제해결자(solution provider)전략이 가능해지고 시장가치가 높아지기 때문이다.

영어초록

Cooperative relations with external companies are important for networking with outside resources-not internal resources-in terms of competitiveness of product development in tandem with increased networking of value activities. Apple's iPod is creating a myth of the 21st century through the externality of a network created based on platform leadership. The platform is becoming a base for product development of the upstream process and usage value creation of the downstream process, in terms of the value chain. The platform is an opposite concept of ‘standalone' development. In other words, a platform is where value is created and issues are resolved in the process of business partners and interfaces performing keystone(Iansiti, 2004) roles. Members of an ecosystem are seamlessly combined based on a platform, and a business ecosystem is established with the formation of a common interface collection. The purpose of this research is to present the possibilities of research that features platform leadership from an open, innovative perspective, where the research activities of small-to medium-sized companies go beyond ‘standalone' and effectively use external ideas and R&D resources. Once a mutually beneficial network is formed among business ecosystems based on a platform, companies will be able to implement mutually beneficial solution provider strategies, which involve discovering solutions from the customer perspective by joining hands with partners, rather than independently engaging and focusing on manufacturing. This also allows enhanced market value. As a result, the level of risk of market failure, which is attributable to excessively technology-oriented product development, can be reduced.
The following is a summary of the key discoveries of this research.
First, a platform has characteristics as the greatest common measure for value creation and problem resolution among companies. Countless combinations are enabled and potentials for evolution increase through effective use of the greatest common measure, which is a platform characteristic. This research proposed a framework that involves formation of a business ecosystem by companies performing keystone roles together with complementors, which are partners of value increase, while considering the platform's greatest common measure.
Second, sub-elements that evaluate the healthiness of a business ecosystem have been developed. For a business ecosystem to continuously evolve and develop, the ecosystem's productivity needs to be increased. In addition, members of the business ecosystem need to stably maintain a certain number of objects, despite environmental changes, thereby increasing robustness of the ecosystem. Another required factor is ecosystem scalability(niche creation), where innovative members grab new business opportunities and achieve expansion. This research developed and proposed sub-level indexes that evaluate the three elements mentioned above.
Third, this research categorized propositions related to platform leadership management needed for the keystone company and ecosystem members to continuously enable the growth and evolution of the business ecosystem into nine propositions. There are two types of interaction between a flower-the platform-and honeybees-ecosystem members. In terms of the first type, honeybees focus on making their own honey using the flower. This is similar to the ‘standalone' business model where honeybees fly around and use flowers to create their own honey and sell honey to earn money. The second type is where the honeybees focus on supplying moisture so that the honeybees and flowers come together for the flowers to become fruit. This becomes the source of strength that enables fruits to create flowers and evolve into an ecosystem of the next generation. The platform model can evolve and develop in the long term only when it becomes a model that creates fruit. The following is a summary of the key propositions.
Proposition1 :(Law of platform yard) Above all, the keystone company needs to effectively design and manage a yard-the platform. Members leave platforms that aren't fun. Then the owner of the yard, the company, suffers. This is platform leadership and the key to business ecosystem thinking.
Proposition 2 :(Law of externality) The keystone needs to enhance the network externality of the platform. Externality refers to two parties actively engaging in transactions, leading to the creation of new customers or new knowledge/technology.
Proposition3 :(Law of conductor) The keystone company needs to perform the role as a conductor, rather than as a ruler, thereby enabling mutual benefits among companies of a business ecosystem. It is difficult to become a conductor with technology alone. There needs to be a philosophy of mutual benefits.
Proposition4 :(Law of honeybees) The strength of a platform grows in the market in tandem with an increase in the number of business partners of the platform. This is the same as the relationship between flowers and honeybees. If honeybees suddenly disappear from the face of the earth, the earth's ecosystem will be placed in danger. If the number of honeybees, which help to provide moisture, decreases, then plants cannot bear fruit. Of the keystone companies that perform the role of a hub of a business ecosystem, there are those that lure honeybees through a fragrant flower, while there are others that are not able to attract honeybees because they have a flower with no fragrance. Fragrance plays an important role in attracting the honeybees and enhancing the interfaces of the ecosystem.
Proposition5 :(Law of an open platform and open ecosystem) A closed system that looks for answers internally has a lower level of sustainability. An open platform continuously increases externality effects and grows rapidly. A closed mindset might seem to bring victory in the short term, but this is because harmony with the external environment makes sustainable development difficult.
Proposition6 :(Law of integration and communication) While the ‘standalone' model involved division, the approach of the platform is integration. Increased evolution potential at the ecosystem level and countless combinations are made possible by using the greatest common measure, a platform characteristic, through an integrated approach. For an integrated approach, communication among ecosystem members and internal customers is important.
Proposition7 :(Law of problem-solving platform) The most important role of the platform is to resolve common problems of members of a business ecosystem. The platform should lead to the realization of the potentials of base technologies that enable the systematization of the ecosystem, and resolve common, fundamental problems experienced by ecosystem members. Once the value creation ability of a business ecosystem loses strength, the central force of the platform sharply weakens.
Fourth, this research attempted at integration of the L, A, and J-type small- to medium-sized company classification(Kim Ki-Chan and others 2007), in accordance with small-to medium-sized companies' ability to accept innovation, based on the types of platform leadership(Iansiti; 2004b) that were categorized considering complexity in relations among companies and the level of environmental change and innovation from the perspective of a business ecosystem. Through this process, this research was able to come up with implications for R&D cooperation between small-to medium-sized companies and large corporations from the perspective of a business ecosystem. It presented the need for a business ecosystem approach in expanding and developing mutually beneficial cooperation between small-to medium-sized companies and large corporations. This research presents the business ecosystem approach as a means for expanding and developing existing models for mutually beneficial cooperation between small-to medium-sized companies and large corporations. Such models placed focus on vertical relationships in a stable industry. Because there is a strong connection between the business ecosystem approach and the theoretical framework of mutually beneficial cooperation that has been accumulated until now, the integration of the two theories provides more practical implications. Key concepts presented by the business ecosystem approach-keystone company, niche company, platform leadership, and ecosystem health-effectively correspond to existing mutually beneficial cooperation models' L, A, J models, confidence phase, etc.. Lastly, this research takes a look at the roles of government, large corporations, and small- to medium-sized companies in the development of a business ecosystem.

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