Innovation in Platform Ecosystems: Roles of Complementors’ Experiential Knowledge and Community Engagement as an External Knowledge Source

Xiaoxiao Zhou () and Yuki Inoue ()
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Xiaoxiao Zhou: Department of Innovation Science, School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 108-0023, Japan
Yuki Inoue: Department of Industrial Engineering and Economics, School of Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-24

Abstract: Complementors are the source of complementary goods. Increased participation by complementors fosters innovation in complementary goods, contributing to the sustainability of the ecosystem. This study examines how complementors’ experiential knowledge and their engagement with the community as an external knowledge source are correlated with the degree of innovation in complementary goods. A multiple regression analysis was conducted using data from the game mod platform Nexus Mods. Prior evidence indicates an inverted U-shaped relationship between experiential knowledge and the degree of innovation. It is suggested that when experiential knowledge accumulation exceeds an optimal level, further accumulation may lead to a decline in the degree of innovation. This study reveals that when complementors possess a high level of experiential knowledge, the positive relationship between their engagement with the community and the degree of innovation in complementary goods is strengthened. Complementors with abundant experience, who actively engage with the community as an external knowledge source, are more likely to drive innovation. Consequently, they play a crucial role in supporting the sustainable development of the ecosystem.

Keywords: complementors; innovation; experiential knowledge; external knowledge sources; community; ecosystem’s sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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