Service and Product Innovation Open access Peer reviewed

The role of digital service innovation for value proposition co-creation in emerging sustainable platform ecosystems

Syed Wajahat Ali, Rodrigo Rabetino, Jahanzaib Shahzad

Journal of Environmental Management | Jun 17, 2026

Abstract

Abstract

This study aims to explore how value propositions emerge during the early stages of sustainability-focused B2B digital platform ecosystems. It examines the role of Digital Service Innovation (DSI) in supporting collaborative practices that address regulatory uncertainty, infrastructural fragmentation, and environmental challenges. An exploratory single-case study was conducted, focusing on the development of a regional biogas platform ecosystem in Finland. Data were collected through 20 semi-structured interviews and three collaborative workshops with sector-specific stakeholders. A process-oriented framework was developed to explain the emergence of value propositions within the platform ecosystem. The results reveal that value propositions emerge through repeated, stakeholder-driven co-creation practices influenced by external factors such as policy uncertainty and market thinness, which act as catalysts for collaboration. The concept of value-in-risk-mitigation is introduced, illustrating how stakeholders co-create value by managing shared vulnerabilities. Digital Service Innovation-enabled services were found to reduce coordination challenges while enhancing environmental performance through integration of digital tools to support emission traceability, circular resource flows, and compliance support. The study demonstrates the role of Digital Service Innovation (DSI) in helping firms and policymakers build trust, develop neutral governance models, and establish digital infrastructure that promotes both competitiveness and sustainability. It also expands service-dominant logic literature by introducing value-in-risk-mitigation as a new driver for initiating value co-creation. It bridges digital servitization and sustainability research by showing that Digital Service Innovation (DSI) strengthens both economic viability and ecological resilience in emerging ecosystems. The research is limited to a single regional case, which may limit the applicability of the findings. Future studies should compare different sectors and include quantitative measures of environmental performance enabled by Digital Service Innovation(DSI).

Direct answer

What can I do from this paper page?

Use this page to scan "The role of digital service innovation for value proposition co-creation in emerging sustainable platform ecosystems" quickly: start with the summary and abstract, then check the authors, source, topics, and related papers. From here, open Scollr to follow Service and Product Innovation research, save the paper, or map adjacent work.

Authors

Researchers on this paper

Syed Wajahat Ali

first | University of Vaasa

Rodrigo Rabetino

middle | University of Vaasa | ORCID 0000-0001-8567-2559

Jahanzaib Shahzad

last | University of Vaasa

Research areas

Follow related topics

Citation

BibTeX

@article{Ali2026role,
  title = {The role of digital service innovation for value proposition co-creation in emerging sustainable platform ecosystems},
  author = {Syed Wajahat Ali and Rodrigo Rabetino and Jahanzaib Shahzad},
  journal = {Journal of Environmental Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130218},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130218}
}

FAQ

Using this paper in a discovery workflow

How do I find related work for this paper?

Use the related papers and topic links on this page as starting points. In Scollr, you can also open the paper and build a literature map around its references, citing papers, and related work.

How can I keep up with new Service and Product Innovation research papers?

Follow Service and Product Innovation research in Scollr. New papers from the topic flow into a personalized feed, and you can save useful studies to revisit later.

Can I cite this paper from this page?

This page includes a static BibTeX block for The role of digital service innovation for value proposition co-creation in emerging sustainable platform ecosystems. Always verify the DOI, source, and publication details against the publisher record before submitting a manuscript.

Follow this research in Scollr

Follow the topics and authors behind this paper, save useful studies, and build a literature map when you are ready to go deeper.

Get the app