Our understanding of the role of platforms for workers and companies is still limited to the gig economy. We will look at the evolution of platform firms and the indirect effects by the entry of platform firms into the business models of established firms.

Guiding questions:

• Which structural changes occur through the application and penetration of platform technologies in the value chains of manufacturing and industry-related services?
• What impact do new technologies have on process innovation and restructuring in different industries (especially in the engineering/automobile industry as well as logistics/retail/e-commerce sectors)?
• Which organisational forms of enterprise and employment are particularly compatible with the innovation process and facilitate the implementation of technology-driven innovation?

Project partners: John Zysman, UC Berkeley and Martin Kenney, UC Davis