Platform Innovations

Current debates widely assume that platforms stimulate both technical and social innovations. Various strands of literature focus on approaches and platform models specifically designed to realize innovation, incorporating concepts such as “open innovation,” “user innovation,” and models like “crowdfunding” with platforms’ opportunities. To enhance the understanding of current platform innovation dynamics, this contribution integrates two additional research strands: First, it examines the technology-informed architecture of digital platforms, which is essential for reconstructing innovations. Second, it highlights the distinct social orders associated with platforms, where rules set by the platform core govern interactions at the periphery. Platforms not only enable flexible expansions but also organize social orders that influence user interactions, leading to tensions between platform control and user-driven creativity. Platforms are key drivers of “open” and “distributed” innovation processes, while simultaneously engaging in conflicts with regulators and established actors over issues like data privacy or labor rights. By introducing these components, the chapter argues for a complementary perspective to understand the emergence, development, and consequences of platform-related innovations. Furthermore, it highlights cybersecurity as a rising critical field for platform innovation, reflecting the ongoing challenge of balancing control and generativity in increasingly interconnected and volatile digital environments.