Ecosystems, strategy, and resilience: Four empirical cases in the COVID-19 crisis

The pandemic pushed companies to rethink competitive strategies and the innovation ecosystem structure. Then, we studied four small organizations from different industries through interviews, observations, and documentation. We offer five key findings: First, the crisis affected the cases in distinct ways, benefiting those in the healthcare sector. Second, innovation ecosystems provided opportunities for digitalization to keep businesses running. Third, resilience and initiative from the ecosystem leaders were crucial in responding to the crisis. Fourth, shifts in competition and cooperation favored survival. Lastly, the competitive strategy and ecosystem goals set before the pandemic have not changed, but how to achieve them.