Digitalization of Municipalities Through Ecosystem Collaboration

Abstract

Emerging technologies combined with new ways of doing business provides a series of new possibilities, but also significant challenges. In this paper, we study how municipalities can realize value from digitalization through ecosystem collaboration.We analyze 26 digitalization strategies representing 58 municipalities in Norway to get an overlook of the current landscape. In addition in-depth interviews are done in 5 municipalities to discover cross-case similarities and patterns. Our findings highlight important strategic measures related to different types of value for the majority of municipal digitalization approaches. We find experimental Internet of Things pilots, ecosystem collaboration and innovative approaches among the municipalities that are further ahead other municipalities in the digitalization process. The results are analyzed and discussed towards recent literature and similar international research on comparable municipalities.