Requirements For Incentive Mechanisms In Industrial Data Ecosystems

Abstract

In the increasingly interconnected business world, economic value is less and less created by one company alone but rather through the combination and enrichment of data by various actors in so-called data ecosystems. The research field around data ecosystems is, however, still in its infancy. In particular, the lack of knowledge about the actual benefits of inter-organisational data sharing is seen as one of the main obstacles why companies are currently not motivated to engage in data ecosystems. This is especially evident in traditional sectors, such as production or logistics, where data is still shared comparatively rarely. However, there is also consensus in these sectors that cross-company data-driven services, such as collaborative condition monitoring, can generate major value for all actors involved. One reason for this discrepancy is that it is often not clear which incentives exist for data providers and how they can generate added value from offering their data to other actors in an ecosystem. Fair and appropriate incentive and revenue sharing mechanisms are needed to ensure reliable cooperation and sustainable ecosystem development. To address this research gap and contribute to a deeper understanding, we conduct a literature review and identify requirements for incentive mechanisms in industrial data ecosystems. The results show, among other things, that technical requirements, such as enabling data usage control, as well as economic aspects, for instance, the fair monetary valuation of data, play an important role in incentive mechanisms in industrial data ecosystems. Understanding these requirements can help practitioners to better comprehend the incentive mechanisms of the ecosystems in which their organisations participate and can ultimately help to create new data-driven products and services.