Coopetition, while offering significant strategic advantages, presents challenges in maintaining long-term collaboration among competitors, often due to a lack of perceived value for the participating actors. This study explores the role of technology in overcoming these challenges by applying the Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic) framework to investigate how technology-driven networks can enhance value co-creation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study hypothesizes that transitioning to technology-driven coopetition networks can substantially improve value co-creation. To test this hypothesis, the research critically evaluates existing theoretical approaches to coopetition, identifies gaps in understanding value creation mechanisms, and implements an experimental technology-driven coopetition network leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The research design is applied explicitly to the Portuguese ornamental stone industry, a significant economic and cultural sector. The findings confirm that technology-driven coopetition networks can enhance value co-creation and improve outputs. These results suggest that integrating technology into coopetition frameworks can provide a viable path to sustaining competitive advantages in SMEs.

Based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Technologies, manufacturing industries are witnessing the fourth Industrial Revolution, the Industry 4.0 (I4.0), and digital transformation is a keystone in this change. Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are strategic in thoroughly digitalizing companies, and I4.0 operations depend on CPS efficiency. Digital plants are held by digital technologies that provide excellent tools for improving product security and supply chain security but requires structured information management to maintain the CPS in its highest level of efficiency. These systems are overly complex and hard to handle when several CPS need to be combined as in a large factory, where several machines must work together to achieve a common goal. This research addresses these issues, and we propose an information management framework of industrial CPS that, towards the industrial efficiency, affords an increase in value for all stakeholders. The framework structures the information through the introduction of two innovative value co-creation concepts: (i) Fingerprint (FP-I4.0), a virtual vehicle that can carry two types of structured information and (ii) Cockpit4.0, an interaction entity between the various service systems, applied from cradle-to-cradle. Validated through the Service Science Theory, we conclude that the proposed empirical framework may boost up CPS efficiency and, from it, I4.0 operations will be more effective.

Coopetition, the strategic blend of competition and collaboration, has emerged as a critical strategy for firms navigating today’s interconnected and resource-constrained global economy. While coopetition networks offer substantial benefits, such as fostering innovation, market expansion, and scalability, they are fraught with challenges like resource-sharing risks, trust deficits, and the inherent tension between collaboration and competition. Despite these hurdles, the transformative potential of technology in enabling and enhancing coopetition networks remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by integrating Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic) and institutional work to propose a comprehensive framework for technology-driven coopetition networks. It identifies seven systemic building blocks—coopetition actors, resource integration, service exchange, institutions, nested ecosystems, operand technologies, and operant technologies—that facilitate sustainable value co-creation. These components enable firms to navigate dynamic market conditions by fostering trust, collaboration, and innovation. This research emphasizes technology’s pivotal role as a transformative enabler and strategic driver, enabling real-time interaction, seamless resource integration, and institutional alignment. Institutional work is highlighted as essential for managing regulatory, normative, and cognitive dimensions to ensure the Adaptability and longevity of coopetition ecosystems. By providing actionable insights into the design and management of resilient, technology-driven coopetition networks, this study offers a roadmap for sustainable and equitable value distribution. It contributes to the evolving discourse on strategic business networks, empowering organizations to harness the power of coopetition in an increasingly complex global marketplace.