The ecosystemic governance for impact (EGI) framework: coordinating innovation across actors, tools and value trajectories

Debora Sarno, Francesco Polese and Carlo Sirianni

European Journal of Innovation Management, 2026, vol. 29, issue 1, 62-93

Abstract: PurposeThis paper aims to propose the ecosystemic governance for impact (EGI) framework to help innovation ecosystems generate lasting, stakeholder-aligned impact. By combining service-dominant logic (S-D logic), digitalization and Industry 4.0 (D&I4), project management (PM) and benefit realization management (BRM), the framework balances rigor with flexibility to coordinate actors, tools and value co-creation processes.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs an abductive, qualitative case study design drawing on a national R&D project (Ditron-C). The analysis integrates data from interviews, project documents, field observations and co-design artifacts, interpreted through four innovation management approaches.FindingsThe EGI framework structures innovation governance around four phases: co-visioning, co-design, co-realization and co-evolution. Each phase supports structured planning and adaptive coordination among actors, helping translate project outputs into sustained impact.Research limitations/implicationsFindings are based on a retail innovation project and validated through a cross-sector application. While these cases support the transferability of the framework, further research could examine the applicability of the framework across different ecosystems and in conditions of extreme power asymmetries.Practical implicationsIn practice, EGI helps managers move beyond checklists and dashboards, providing a scaffold that keeps negotiations open and makes impact visible over time.Social implicationsThe framework promotes inclusive governance and participatory alignment among ecosystem actors, enabling innovation processes to support lasting and mutually negotiated impact.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a mid-range theoretical framework that reframes innovation governance as a reflexive and ecosystemic process.

Keywords: Innovation ecosystem; Project management; Service-dominant logic; Benefit realization management; Innovation governance; Digital transformation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ejimpp:ejim-02-2025-0205

DOI: 10.1108/EJIM-02-2025-0205

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