Understanding the mechanisms and drivers of growth in the ICT sector

Project Summary

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector forms the backbone of the digital transformation and has undergone spectacular growth over the last decades. However, the ICT sector is increasingly characterized by “winner-takes-all markets” and quasi-monopolies that raise entry barriers and threaten the survival of small ICT businesses. At the same time, the sector’s future growth is increasingly questioned as key technological growth drivers may reach physical limits. Against this backdrop, this interdisciplinary research project aims at identifying the underlying mechanisms and drivers of growth in the ICT sector from a firm- and industry-level perspective. At the firm level, this project draws on qualitative case studies to advance the literature on firm growth by providing unique insights into the drivers of growth and the strategies firms use to survive in “winner-takes-all markets”. At the industry level, this project builds on patent and industry data analysis to generate a better understanding about how different technologies in the sector are linked and jointly shape industry dynamics. From the new insights gained, practical recommendations will be derived on how small firms can design competitive strategies in quasi-monopolistic markets, and how regulators can support digital late movers and develop early warning systems to prevent the emergence of monopolies.

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Interviews Conducted

Understanding growth drivers at firm level

Understanding growth drivers at firm level

Analyzing the dynamics of the ICT sector and its impact on firms and industry

Analyzing the dynamics of the ICT sector and its impact on firms and industry

Understanding the impact of technology on firm and industry growth in the ICT sector

Understanding the impact of technology on firm and industry growth in the ICT sector

Project Funding

Funded by VolkswagenStiftung and MWK

The interdisciplinary research project is funded by VolkswagenStiftung and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture

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Research Team

Meet Our Team Members

The interdisciplinary team is composed of researchers with a background in management and computing science, who share an interest in understanding the drivers and mechanisms of growth in the ICT sector.

Prof. Dr. Joern Hoppmann

Head of the Management Research Group, University of Oldenburg

Prof. Dr. Jorge Marx Gomez

Head of the Business Information Systems Group, University of Oldenburg

Dr. Josua Oll

Research Associate Management Research Group, University of Oldenburg

Dr.-lng. Volkan Gizli

Research Associate Business Information Systems Group, University of Oldenburg

Swantje Freund

Research Associate Management Research Group, University of Oldenburg

M.Sc. Ali Akyol

Research Associate Business Information Systems Group, University of Oldenburg

M.Sc. Timothy Musharu

Research Associate Business Information Systems Group, University of Oldenburg

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