Results Over Rhetoric: A Hands-On Ecosystem Guide for the AI Era

Ecosystems—not standalone firms—are fast becoming the unit of competition. They are not the same as clusters: clusters are geographic concentrations of related actors; ecosystems are role- and rule-based collaborations organised around a user job and shared rails (identity, data, APIs, governance). Ecosystems may sit inside clusters, but they are not defined by geography and often cut across sectors and regions. AI and GenAI lower search and coordination costs, turning intent into action across many actors, while shifting control to whoever owns the rails for identity, data, ranking and rules.

The report shows how well-designed ecosystems create measurable value (higher engagement, lower frictions, better economics) and why governance—eligibility, service levels, data rights, value-sharing and portability—decides who benefits. We also show that ecosystems are not just a Big Tech phenomenon: cases from retail/venues, banking, manufacturing SMEs, energy, mobility, health and public services demonstrate broad applicability.

We translate these insights into a playbook apt for a European economy or region such as Catalunya: build sector data spaces and open rails, give SMEs cheap, trusted participation, and use light, reversible governance so partners keep options and keep investing.

Read the full paper here.