A Study on the Evolution Game of Multi-Subject Knowledge Sharing Behavior in Open Innovation Ecosystems

• Published in: Systems (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 7; p. 511
• Main Authors: Zhang, Gupeng, Zou, Hua, Yang, Shuo, Hou, Qiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2025
• Subjects: Business ecosystems; China; Closed loops; Collaboration; Competition; Decision making; Ecology; Evolution; evolutionary game; Game theory; Games; Innovations; Knowledge management; Knowledge sharing; Lotka–Volterra model; Natural resources; Numerical analysis; open innovation ecosystems; Simulation methods; Small & medium sized enterprises-SME; Small and medium sized companies; Subsidies; Symbiosis; Systems stability; Tacit knowledge; Two dimensional analysis; China
• ISSN: 2079-8954; 2079-8954
• DOI: 10.3390/systems13070511

With the shift of the global innovation model from traditional closed-loop to open ecosystems, knowledge sharing and collaborative cooperation among firms have become key to obtaining sustainable competitive advantages. However, existing studies mostly focus on the static structure, and there is an insufficient exploration of the dynamic evolutionary mechanism and multi-party game strategies. In this paper, a two-dimensional analysis framework integrating the evolutionary game and the Lotka–Volterra model is constructed to explore the behavioral and strategic evolution of core enterprises, SMEs and the government in the innovation ecosystem. Through theoretical modeling and numerical simulation, the effects of different variables on system stability are revealed. It is found that a moderately balanced benefit allocation can stimulate two-way knowledge sharing, while an over- or under-allocation ratio will inhibit the synergy efficiency of the system; a moderate difference in the knowledge stock can promote knowledge complementarity, but an over-concentration will lead to the monopoly and closure of the system; and the government subsidy needs to accurately match the cost of the openness of the enterprises with the potential benefits to the society, so as to avoid the incentive from being unused. Accordingly, it is suggested to optimize the competition structure among enterprises through the dynamic benefit distribution mechanism, knowledge sharing platform construction and classification subsidy policy, promote the evolution of the innovation ecosystem to a balanced state of mutual benefit and symbiosis, and provide theoretical basis and practical inspiration for the governance of the open innovation ecosystem.