Open data is information readable by machines that are freely available to others and it is further the defining element of a smart city. However, little research has been conducted within the area of open data within the smart city context. Further, the smart city initiative explored is the second to be established in Sweden, and an open data platform will serve as the cornerstone in the smart city initiative. In addition to that, the collaboration between the stakeholders is a key factor for reaching the common goal when creating a smart city. In this case study, the researchers have conducted an exploratory case study in order to examine how stakeholders can collaborate within a smart city initiative to foster innovation through the use of open data. Therefore, key stakeholders within the project have been interviewed and the concept of digital innovation network has been adopted to get a deeper understanding of the project, as it involves institutions and companies from both public and private sector that aims to be innovative together. Further, this study identifies four key concerns to guide the smart city initiative. There is a need for a clear strategy and committed management when opening up and handling data; to involve public opinion in data collection, analysis and application to make the open data platform function; to bridge the knowledge resources between the stakeholders in order to benefit from the collaboration in the project; and make a distinction in how to share data between the two discovered innovation networks.

Background: The advancement of digital technologies and hence the emergence of new opportunities but also changing customer needs force incumbent firms to increase their innovation capacities. Therefore, they must find ways to explore the opportunities of digital innovation, while simultaneously exploiting their core business and ensuring a secured revenue stream. This phenomenon, called organizational ambidexterity, can amongst others be achieved by implementing a digital innovation unit (DIU). DIUs, structurally separated units, especially within Germany, Switzerland and Austria are declared to be successful instruments to increase incumbent’s innovativeness but also to foster an innovation culture and advance the corporate digital transformation while the core organization can focus on core business activities. Research Problem: Despite the prevalent perception of DIUs being successful initiatives to find remedy for incumbents’ conflict of being innovative while simultaneously advancing the core business, in recent years more and more DIUs were closed. This development is particularly interesting as the amount of DIUs is still increasing while on the other hand especially business press claims the end of these units. However, regarding this paradox, academic literature is still rare and has until now primarily focused on the challenges of DIUs but not on their closure. Correspondingly, DIU closure poses a significant research gap. Research Purpose: The study primarily aims to clarify why DIUs are being closed and derive a general theory explaining this phenomenon. Above that, a secondary purpose is to advance knowledge regarding DIUs as a digital innovation instrument and what characterizes a DIU. Finally, we aim to examine whether a closure can be equated with a failure. Research Question: Why are Digital Innovation Units being closed? Research Method: Qualitative, inductive research; Ontology – Relativism; Epistemology – Social Constructionism; Methodology – Grounded Theory; Data Collection – 14 semi- structured in-depth Interviews; Sampling – Purposive, Snowball, Theoretical; Data Analysis – Grounded Analysis Conclusion: Resulting from the findings, a model was developed, that explains five major statements related to DIU closure. On the one hand, we ascertained distinct symptoms that anticipate a closure such as personnel measures and budget cuts. On the other hand, we identified factors that significantly influence the fate of a DIU such as corporate politics or cultural dissonances and identified remnants of closed DIUs. Finally, the immediate reasons why DIUs close can be related to strategic changes within the parent company and to how the DIU is evaluated.

Digitalization affects all industries, there among the manufacturing industry where the majortransformation can be mentioned as the fourth industrial revolution. Manufacturing companieswho are experts within their traditional area often perform minor incremental improvements,however, companies embracing digitalization consequently also perform more radical innovations.Incremental and radical innovation require different management, hence, does also digitalinnovation. The project was carried out at two manufacturing companies, the Pulp Comp and theTool Comp, who both had expressed initiatives within digital innovation. Thereby, this thesis aimsto create an understanding of how to support digital innovation projects at manufacturingcompanies using managerial controls and formal development processes. By identifying possibleinfluencing factors, such as success factors, obstacles and challenges, the thesis will providemanagers with knowledge in how they can support digital innovation projects. To achieve that, 27semi-structured interviews were conducted with project members and people with a generalknowledge within the two companies’ projects. A total of five projects were investigated. Aliterature study was also performed to create a theoretical framework, that together with the codeddata from the interviews were used to make an analysis to answer the two research questions.Additionally, a discussion is presented that concerns for instance, how employees at differentpositions use different managerial controls and how crucial it can be to balance the use ofmanagerial controls. Finally, a conclusion with general managerial implications is presentedregarding how managerial controls, attention and formal development processes can supportdigital innovation projects at manufacturing companies. Two main results from this study are thatit has shown to be necessary to combine different controls to get successful result and the formaldevelopment processes might need a more dynamic, iterative and parallel approach. / Digitaliseringen påverkar alla industrier, däribland tillverkningsindustrin där den storatransformationen kan omnämnas som den fjärde industriella revolutionen. Tillverkningsföretagsom är experter inom deras traditionella områden utför ofta inkrementella förbättringar, menföretag som anammar digitaliseringen utför även mer radikala innovationer. Inkrementell ochradikal innovation behöver olika typer av ledning, därmed även digital innovation Projektet harutförts på två tillverkningsföretag, Pulp Comp (Massaföretaget) och Tool Comp(Verktygsföretaget), som båda har uttryckt initiativ inom digital innovation. Därmed syftarrapporten till att skapa en förståelse för hur digitala innovationsprojekt på tillverkningsföretag kanstöttas genom användandet av ledningskontroller och formella utvecklingsprocesser. Genom attidentifiera möjliga påverkande faktorer, så som framgångsfaktorer, hinder och utmaningar, förseruppsatsen ledare med kunskap om hur de kan stötta digitala innovationsprojekt. För att uppnå dettahar 27 semistrukturerade intervjuer utförts tillsammans med projektmedlemmar och personer meden generell kunskap om de två företagen och deras projekt. Totalt fem projekt har undersökts. Enlitteraturstudie har utförts för att skapa ett teoretiskt ramverk, som tillsammans med kodade datafrån intervjuerna användes för att utföra en analys för att svara på de två forskningsfrågorna.Dessutom presenteras en diskussion som berör bland annat hur anställda på olika positioneranvänder olika ledningskontroller och hur avgörande det kan vara att balansera användandet avledningskontroller. Sammanfattningsvis presenteras en slutsats med generellaledningsimplikationer angående hur ledningskontroller, uppmärksamhet och formellautvecklingsprocesser kan stötta digitala innovationsprojekt på tillverkningsföretag. Tvåhuvudsakliga resultat från denna studie är att det har visat sig vara nödvändigt att kombinera olikaledningskontroller för att erhålla ett framgångsrikt resultat, samt att formella utvecklingsprocesserkan behöva ett mer iterativt, dynamiskt och parallellt tillvägagångssätt.

Over the last decades we have witnessed a profound digitalization of tangible products. While this shift offers great opportunities, it also exposes product developing industries to significant challenges. In these industries organizations, markets, and technologies are tuned for mass production, providing competitive advantage through scale economics. Typically, firms exercise modular strategies to deliver such scale benefits. Rooted in Herbert Simon’s notion of near decomposability, modular product architectures allow for production assets, such as tools, processes, and plants, to be effectively reused across product variants and over generations of designs. However, they come at a price; modularity requires overall design specifications to be frozen well before production. In practice, this tends to inscribe functional purpose in the structures of the system, effectively preventing firms from taking advantage of the speed by which digitized products can be developed and modified. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate and explain how product developing organizations adapt architectural thinking to balance the proven benefits of modularity and the emerging opportunities provided by digital technology. In doing so, it introduces a complementary architectural frame, grounded in Christopher Alexander’s seminal work on patterns. This frame associates the concept of architecture with generativity and reuse of ideas, rather than scale economics and reuse of physical assets. Sensitizing the theoretical framework through a longitudinal case study of digital product innovation this thesis derives several implications for theory and practice. Across four embedded cases in the automotive industry it demonstrates that generative capability follows from a shared organizational view on products as enablers and catalyzers of new, yet unknown functionality. Such an emergence-centric view requires product developing firms to rethink existing governance models. Rather than exercising control through specific functionality, inscribed in modular product structures, it offers the benefit of influencing innovation through general functional patterns, serving as raw material in distributed and largely uncoordinated innovation processes. This shift in focus, from specific functionality to general functional patterns, enables a new strategic asset for product developing firms. It opens up for proactive rather than reactive strategies, where the architecture makes an instrument to cultivate new ideas and business opportunities, rather than a tool for cost savings.

The emergence of digital technology represents a paradigmatic historical shift. As a process transforming sociotechnical structures, digitalization has had pervasive effects on organizing structures and business logics, as well as contemporary society as a whole. In recent years, these effects have been particularly salient in the content-based (e.g. music and imaging), and most recently the print-media (e.g. newspapers and magazines) industries. Facing dramatically declining sales of print media products, publishers have sought to leverage digital technology for innovation. However, the digital revenues still do not yet typically compensate for the decline in print media sales. This thesis explores the organizational implications of digitalization in the media domain. Scholars have increasingly stressed that digital technology has some distinct characteristics that have fundamental implications for innovation. This thesis examines aspects of these implications that have been far from fully explored, including the roles of digital technologies as enablers of process innovation (new methods, procedures or responsibilities), product innovation outcomes (which shift or expand an organization's domain) and associated changes in organizational cognition and identity. The thesis is based on four empirical investigations, reported in appended papers, of the evolution of digital platforms, the new content creation practices they enable, and how traditional print media firms have sought to innovate and reorient themselves in relation to these novel phenomena. The composite analysis illustrates how the distinct characteristics of digital technologies are complicit in transitions from stable to fragile product categories, highlights the need for a dynamic approach to identity orientation, and discusses and proposes key concerns in scholarly studies of digital innovation in organizations based on insights generated by the underlying studies.

Innovation är inte längre endast en väg till nytta av olika slag, utan är avgörande för organisationers överlevnad. Techbranschen är en bransch som förändrar sig i rekordfart och för att kunna överleva och ha möjlighet att konkurrera i denna bransch krävs ett framgångsrikt innovationsarbete. Syftet med studien är att undersöka och beskriva vilka faktorer som möjliggör digital innovation i techbranschen. För att komma fram till detta har organisationer verksamma i techbranschen undersökts angående hur de arbetar för att driva innovationsarbete. För att samla in data har fem öppna individuella intervjuer använts. Resultatet visar på att det krävs att organisationer lägger tid, engagemang, resurser och kraft på innovationen. Genom att använda sig av en postindustriell organisationsstruktur så främjas många andra möjliggörare för innovation ur detta. För de organisationer som använder sig av en programvara eller IT-tjänst eller som produkt är det väsentligt att använda sig av fenomenet Hackathon för att driva på den radikala innovationen. Sammanfattningsvis går det att konstatera att digital innovation är ett komplext fenomen och för att organisationer ska lyckas bedriva det är det många faktorer som de behöver fokusera på. Studien visar dock på att vad en organisation väljer att lägga det främsta fokuset på varierar från organisation till organisation. / Innovation is no longer just a path to benefits of various kinds but is crucial to the survival of organizations. The tech industry is an industry that is changing at record speed, and to survive and can compete in this industry, successful innovation work is required. The purpose of the study is to investigate and describe which factors enable digital innovation in the tech industry. To arrive at this, organizations operating in the tech industry have been examined regarding how they work to drive innovation work. To collect data, five open individual interviews have been used. The result shows that it is required that organizations spend time, commitment, resources, and energy on innovation. By using a post-industrial organizational structure, many other enablers of innovation are promoted from this. For those organizations that use a software or IT service or as a product, it is essential to use the Hackathon phenomenon to drive the radical innovation. In summary, it can be stated that digital innovation is a complex phenomenon and for organizations to succeed in pursuing it, there are many factors that they need to focus on. However, the study shows that what an organization chooses to put the focus on varies from organization to organization. This study was conducted in Swedish.

The study was conducted in an information system according to the definition of a worksystem, in a swedish niche bank. Where the effects of the current pandemic and its consequences regarding digital transformation and digital resilience have been investigated.These two have previously been studied, but received increased attention during the outbreak, since digitization, adaptation and innovation now are considered of high importance for survival. All these are found in the concepts of digital transformation and digital resilience.  A qualitative case study with an abductive approach was conducted to examine previous topics where several interviews took place with selected employees from different areas of expertise. The results have shown that many changes during the pandemic are of high importance to survive, now a digital focus and innovations needs to be applied and this way of thinking will continue long after the pandemic. Nevertheless, the company investigated has not yet implemented any major changes, even though awareness of these has increased and opened up for discussion regarding changes in the future. As many new opportunities arise, these should have been used to improve many aspects of the business, but instead development of internal processes improved the most. One reason for this is the obligation to work remotely because it is required during these circumstances. But there is also potentialfor the development of the business regarding customers not only internally. Because all the changes companies identify should also affect the customers, target groups and markets. / Studien har genomförts på ett informationssystem utefter definitionen av arbetssystem i en svensk nischbank. Där har rådande pandemis effekter undersökts i dess konsekvenser gällande digital transformation och digital motståndskraft. Dessa två är något som tidigare studerats inom informatik, men fått ökad uppmärksamhet i och med Covid-19 eftersom digitalisering, anpassning, återhämtning och nya digital innovationer anses som ett måste för att går stärkt ur eller överleva pandemin. Alla dessa måsten återfinns i begreppen digital transformation och digital motståndskraft. Undersökningen har tillämpat en kvalitativ fallstudie med abduktiv ansats för att undersöka detta, där intervjuer har genomförts med nyckelpersoner från olika områden inom arbetssystemet. Resultatet har visat på att många förändringar har uppmärksammats av pandemin, att ett digitalt fokus och innovationer behöver tillämpas och detta tankesätt kommer företaget föra med sig efter pandemin. Det har trots detta inte genomfört några större förändringar ännu även om medvetenheten har ökat och en diskussion har öppnats. Eftersom det tillkommit nya möjligheter borde dessa nyttjats inom flera delar och områden, men detsom varit i fokus är främst utvecklingen av interna processer, det vill säga verksamheten. Detta för att kunna bedriva arbete på distans som varit ett krav i dessa omständigheter. Därmed finns det potential att även utveckla affären mer framöver eftersom alla förändringar som företag upplever, borde också påverka kunderna, målgrupper och marknader.

Digital startup firms are key actors in innovation landscapes and a viable part of the Swedish tech industry. They operate within hypercompetitive environments, which are dynamic and volatile due to the nature of digital technologies. However, startups often face challenges such as limited resources in terms of finances, skills, and knowledge that affect their preconditions for innovation. Previous research has failed to address the unique characteristics and required management competencies of startups engaged in digital innovation. We aim to contribute to the field of IS and digital innovation, but also provide deeper insights for new startups on how to manage digital innovation. Therefore, we explore the following research question: how do digital startups manage innovation? We have conducted a multiple case study and our findings included two different approaches for digital innovation management in startups - knowledge-push and need-pull. Our findings suggest that these different approaches to digital innovation management affect several activities within the startups. These are: strategic use of data, value creation, financial resources, knowledge-sharing/capabilities, and networking. Further, we suggest practical implications for startups and suggestions for future research.

The emergence of new digital technologies has paved a way for new business opportunities which have led to drastic changes to the way organizations do business. This technological progress has resulted in a conundrum in which research cannot always keep up with the rate of technological progress. Said issue can be observed in the complex and resource-intensive field of digital transformation which has several research gaps. Primary of which is the lack of research concerning how an organization can systematically assist the digital transformation of another organization in a cooperative environment. The aim of this study was to generate a deeper understanding of digital transformation as a process of co-creation by conducting a qualitative study on how an organization that works with integration of digital solutions systematically assists their customers with digital transformation. In line with the aim of this study, we have analyzed the case based on an analytical framework grounded in existing digital transformation research. Our analysis shows that the studied organization succeeded in systematically assisting its customers digital transformation because of its cooperative and flexible workflow. This workflow allows the organization to rapidly and iteratively collect and exchange information with its customers. Based on that information the organization is able to produce prototypes and deliver digital innovation solutions that are in line with its customers’ demands. Additionally, the workflow combined with the acquired information allows the organization to systematically influence and steer their customers digital transformation at different stages of the co-creational process. The results of this study showcased that the conceptualization of digital transformation in existing research is limited. This indicates that future studies in the field should focus on researching digital transformation in the context of how one organization can assist in another organization’s digital transformation.

Purpose – The purpose of this master thesis was to enhance the knowledge of the relationship between digital tools and innovation speed. By doing so, adding to literature on innovation speed and digital tools.     Method – The method used in this study was a comparative case study with five case companies from a variety of industries in Sweden and Denmark. Data were collected and analysed in three waves, 1) explorative interviews used to set the scope of the study, 2) semi-structured interviews used to answer the research questions, 3) validatory interviews to validate the collected data and results.  Findings – The result culminated in the identification of seven effects derived from the use digital tools which had an impact on innovation speed (I.e., Automation, knowledge exchange, visualisation, experimentation and iteration, data management, competence, and trust).   Theoretical contribution – This master’s thesis main contribution to current literature is, by not viewing digital tools as a homogeneous group, enhancing the understanding of how digital tools affect the innovation process. Furthermore, applying the perspective of differences between types of digital tools, this thesis also contributes to understanding digital tools impact on innovation speed.  Practical implications – This thesis contributes to managers by suggesting different context to consider when implementing new digital tools for an accelerated innovation process. The study concludes that there are three main notions for managers to keep in mind when implementing tools in the innovation process. Firstly, to ensure that the complexity of the tool doesn’t exceed the internal capabilities. Secondly, to implement the tools in the phases which enables the most advantages. Thirdly, to have a process in place for managing data.  Limitations of the study – This study has focused on a small number of case companies, where the focus was on gathering in-depth data instead of quantifying findings. Future studies could therefore benefit from validating the findings with a larger sample pool. / Syfte – Syftet med detta examensarbete var att öka kunskapen om sambandet mellan digitala verktyg och innovationshastighet. Genom att göra det, bidra till både litteratur om innovationshastighet och digitala verktyg.  Metod – Metoden som användes i denna studie var en fallstudie med fem företag från en mängd olika branscher i Sverige och Danmark. Data samlades in och analyserades i tre vågor, 1) explorativa intervjuer som användes för att fastställa studiens omfattning, 2) semistrukturerade intervjuer som användes för att besvara forskningsfrågorna, 3) validerande intervjuer för att validera insamlad data och resultat.  Resultat – Resultatet kulminerade i identifieringen av sju effekter som härstammar från användningen av digitala verktyg som hade en inverkan på innovationshastigheten (dvs automation, kunskapsutbyte, visualisering, experimentering och iteration, datahantering, kompetens och tillit).  Teoretiskt bidrag – Den här masteruppsatsens huvudsakliga bidrag till aktuell litteratur är, genom att inte se digitala verktyg som en homogen grupp, en ökad förståelse för hur digitala verktyg påverkar innovationsprocessen. Genom att tillämpa perspektivet av skillnader mellan typer av digitala verktyg, bidrar denna avhandling också till att förstå digitala verktygs inverkan på innovationshastighet.  Praktiska implikationer – Den här avhandlingen bidrar till chefer genom att föreslå olika sammanhang att tänka på när de implementerar nya digitala verktyg för en accelererad innovationsprocess. Studien drar slutsatsen att det finns tre huvudsakliga områden för chefer att tänka på när de implementerar verktyg i innovationsprocessen. För det första för att säkerställa att verktygets komplexitet inte överstiger de interna funktionerna. För det andra att implementera verktygen i de faser som möjliggör flest fördelar. För det tredje att ha en process på plats för att hantera data.  Studiens begränsningar – Denna studie har fokuserat på ett litet antal fallföretag, där fokus låg på att samla in djupgående data istället för att kvantifiera resultat. Framtida studier kan därför dra nytta av att validera resultaten med ett större urval.