Towards Fair Value Distribution of Co-created Value in Digital Ecosystems

Digital ecosystems (DEs) are pivotal for an intelligent digital future, fostering co-created value through collaboration among diverse stakeholders. By sharing and recombining technologies, knowledge, and services, DEs enable the creation of innovative products and offerings that surpass what isolated efforts can achieve. However, the sustainability of DEs and the value co-created in these DEs depends on fair value distribution mechanisms, as inequitable allocation of rewards can deter participation and hinder growth. Addressing this gap, our research project draws on prior literature and extant theories to design a fair mechanism for value distribution in DEs. This Research-in-Progress outlines the theoretical foundation of the proposed mechanism and identifies the next steps needed to achieve the overall goals of our project. However, the mechanism itself remains to be refined and empirically validated.