Navigating the emergence of circular ecosystems for electric vehicle battery second life: Prerequisites and pathways in firm- and ecosystem-level interactions

Chirumalla K.; Stefan I.; Kulkov I.; Johansson G.; Dahlquist E. Technovation. DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2025.103306

Firms require multi-stakeholder ecosystems to successfully create and implement circular business models for electric vehicle (EV) battery second life. However, there is a notable absence of guiding instruments to assist EV battery ecosystem actors in formulating and managing strategies for battery second-life operations. This study's aim is to analyze how circular ecosystems are formed and managed, considering the interplay between firm-level and ecosystem-level interactions. The study identifies 17 prerequisites divided into four stages of circular ecosystem management, considering the interplay between firm- and ecosystem-level aspects, as well as short- and long-term perspectives. These four stages of circular ecosystem management are firm-level assessment, ecosystem formation, firm-level adaptation, and ecosystem orchestration. Based on these four stages, the study identifies three distinct pathways through which EV battery ecosystem actors can effectively form and manage second-life operations. Additionally, a decision tree model is proposed to navigate ecosystem actors through these four stages for enabling battery second-life operations. This research makes a valuable contribution to the field of ecosystem management and circular ecosystems, specifically by examining the interplay between firm-level and ecosystem-level dynamics within the context of EV battery second-life operations. The findings hold significance for both academic researchers and practitioners seeking to implement and scale-up circular business models and circular ecosystems in the realm of EV batteries. © 2025 The Author(s)

Turning the tables towards gender inclusivity in entrepreneurial ecosystems

Isakova E.; Stroila I. Journal of Business Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115620. 

Although women entrepreneurs significantly contribute to economic and social progress, entrepreneurial ecosystems remain largely shaped by male-oriented approaches that insufficiently address women's needs. As a result, gender inequality in entrepreneurship persists, with women facing barriers to starting businesses, securing funding, and accessing networks. Drawing on Giddens’ (1984) theory of structuration, we explore how the cultural, social, and material attributes of entrepreneurial ecosystems interact to influence gender inclusivity. Through in-depth interviews with a diverse range of ecosystem actors, we demonstrate how entrepreneurial DNA, a tight-knit entrepreneurial community, and munificent state infrastructure function as structures that both constrain and enable women entrepreneurs. In response, women act as agents, reshaping these structures through advocacy and solidarity. This study contributes to research on entrepreneurial ecosystems by revealing how ecosystem attributes can simultaneously perpetuate exclusion and enable transformation. It also offers policy implications, calling for holistic, systemic strategies to address persistent gender disparities in entrepreneurship. © 2025 The Authors.

Collaborative innovation and knowledge spillovers in open innovation ecosystems: Exploring the roles of network stability and technological niche

Xie X.; Yu H. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124289. 

To cope with environmental uncertainty and competitive challenges, an increasing number of firms are shifting away from traditional closed innovation practices to actively explore collaborative innovation in open innovation ecosystems (OIEs). While previous research has mainly focused on collaborative innovation in traditional arrangements, little is known about how focal firms in OIEs adopt collaborative innovation to promote knowledge spillovers. To address this research gap, we draw on the knowledge-based view (KBV) and innovation ecosystem theory and propose a new conceptual model for understanding the internal mechanisms and contextual conditions in the relationship between a focal firm's collaborative innovation in OIEs and knowledge spillovers. Using the data of 241 Chinese firms in the information and communication technology industry, we find that a focal firm's collaborative innovation in OIEs has a positive effect on its knowledge spillovers and that this relationship is mediated by network stability. We also find that technological niche depth and technological niche diversity strengthen such relationship. Our findings not only provide new empirically supported insights on how and when collaborative innovation in the unique context of OIEs affects knowledge spillovers but also offer important managerial implications for firms to strategically embed themselves within OIEs to leverage collaboration practices and access knowledge resource value. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.

Towards a circular business ecosystem 4.0 in the cosmetics industry: Findings from a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review

Nana A.; Bawack R.; Yannou-Le Bris G.; Daniellou R. Journal of Cleaner Production. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.146162.

This study addresses critical gaps in sustainability research, which has predominantly focused on technical and environmental aspects while overlooking the systemic integration of Industry 4.0 technologies and stakeholder collaboration within business ecosystems. Focusing on the cosmetics industry, it explores how circular economy principles and digital technologies can converge to drive sustainable transformation. By combining bibliometric analysis (2671 documents and 163,066 references) with a systematic literature review (78 articles), the study introduces the novel concept of Circular Business Ecosystem 4.0 (CBE 4.0). This model extends traditional circularity frameworks by emphasizing the interconnected roles of Industry 4.0 technologies and ecosystem actors across the cosmetic product lifecycle. The bibliometric findings highlight dominant research themes—such as green chemistry, microalgae, microplastics, and bioactive compounds—while revealing a lack of systemic approaches. The SLR complements these insights by illustrating how digital tools and stakeholder collaboration can enable sustainability at every stage of the value chain. Beyond the cosmetics sector, the CBE 4.0 model offers a transferable framework for integrating advanced technologies into circular business ecosystems. This research contributes a holistic, actionable perspective that bridges fragmented discourse and informs future strategies for practitioners, policymakers, and scholars. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.

(Re)envisioning the role of technology transfer intermediaries in socio-technical transition

Osei E.; Boakye D.; Asante K. Journal of Technology Transfer. DOI: 10.1007/s10961-025-10241-7.

Recent year has seen a rise scholarly interest in examining the functions and value of technology transfer intermediaries (TTIs) in spurring and commercializing sustainable innovations. In this paper, we embark on a conceptual endeavor that explores existing research on TTIs to identify their various roles, structure, networks and practices that define their organizing patterns and schemas. We adopt an envisioning approach to reconceptualize the role of TTIs in sustainable transition and go on to reconceive the core insights from the extant literature to inform ways to facilitating a global socio-technical transition agenda. This attempt thus set forth a system that captures a global TTI market for the exchange of technological capabilities across regions. Our study contributes to discourses at the intersection of international technology transfer intermediaries and sustainability transition. © The Author(s) 2025.

Resilience and fragility in creative industry clusters: Exploring the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter

Cankurtaran P.; Nielsen B.; McCabe S. Industrial Marketing Management. DOI: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.07.004.

There is widespread agreement that regional clusters are a critical means of competing among industries, the creative sector included. Research examines resilience, or the ability of the regional cluster to adapt to change and innovate. However, not all clusters are alike, with emerging research identifying the unique nature of creative clusters, particularly those with a craft heritage at their core. Despite claims that clusters are defined by human social actions, there has been limited research examining the within-cluster practices that give rise to and reinforce resilience. Drawing on social practice theory, we examine how actors shape resilience within the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter (BJQ), one of the UK's oldest continuing regional clusters. Our qualitative findings identify for cluster level practices that give rise to resilience: bonding, identity, exploiting, and exploring. These consist of 11 individual sub-practices. Collectively, our findings make three contributions: identifying the role of micro-level practices in giving rise to resilience in creative industry clusters, identifying the relationship between practices and their connections with resilience/fragility, and expanding cluster research into urban regional craft luxury sectors. © 2025.

Clusters and Cluster Policy Models

Kowalski A.M. Clusters and Cluster Policy Models. DOI: 10.4337/9781035333981. 

Combining insights from classical and modern economic theories, this book presents a comprehensive analysis of cluster policies and models from a global perspective. Arkadiusz Kowalski draws on detailed case studies from developed and emerging economies, emphasising the role of clusters in enhancing economic competitiveness and innovation. © Arkadiusz Michał Kowalski 2025

Integrating green and grey infrastructure systems in dense urban regions: a synthesis of critical barriers and effective implementation guidelines

Seidu S.; Chan D.W.M.; Taiwo R. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. DOI: 10.1007/s10098-025-03309-3.

Green infrastructure (GI) and ecosystem-based solutions (ES) have gained significant attention as effective climate adaptation strategies in dense urban regions. However, integrating these systems into existing infrastructure encounters profound barriers due to current land use policies and stakeholder priorities. Consequently, integrated systems such as green and grey infrastructure (GGI) require effective planning and implementation frameworks to ensure project success. The current systematic review explores the existing divide between conventional (grey infrastructure) systems and green infrastructure systems. The review employed interaction maps and fishbone diagram analysis to synthesise critical barriers and effective implementation guidelines for GGI projects. The analysis covers how GGI outweighs standalone components such as GI and grey infrastructure in several climate resilience scenarios such as flood damage control and meeting sustainability goals. Thus, the review provides compelling arguments to cement the GGI integration debates. Multiple stakeholder objective misalignment and path dependency on grey infrastructure were perceived as critical barriers at the planning stage. The design stage is hindered by the inadequacy of performance data, while large space requirements in dense urban settings present some implementation challenges. The review recommends the need to intensify concerted efforts in holistic GGI economic evaluation considering the social dimension and improving community participation through mutual collaboration. © The Author(s) 2025.