| dc.description.abstract | This thesis aims to explore the potential for digital platform ecosystems to support the
development of the circular economy in the Norwegian construction industry. While there is
a general understanding among scholars and industry professionals that digitalization can
enable circularity, the existing literature on the intersection of these two concepts is limited.
Existing literature does not adequately address the potential for using digital platforms to
promote circularity across industry value chains and achieve the goals of a circular economy.
To gain a holistic perspective on this potential, the thesis is based on an exploratory case study
involving clients, consultants, architects, and contractors in the construction industry. The
study aims to contribute to existing literature by developing a conceptual framework linking
the concept of a circular economy to digital platform ecosystems, as well as by exploring why
and how such a platform ecosystem can support the transition to circularity in the construction
industry.
The study's findings are twofold. Firstly, the study suggests the need for an improved
organization of the value chain actors on digital platforms to facilitate iterative collaboration
on project-level. Particularly, we identified that the implementation of circularity in the
industry depend on frequent involvement of contractors and consultants. Moreover, in order
to succeed in the transition towards circularity, we argue that the industry needs an industrywide
platform to create a market for reused materials. Therefore, our study suggests that the
industry requires a multidimensional platform with both project-specific and industry-wide
components.
Secondly, we identified three fundamental attributes that need to be present on a digital
platform ecosystem for circularity: flexibility, data accumulation, and interaction. Based on
these findings, we reassess our preliminary framework linking the circular economy to digital
platform ecosystems and describe how the fundamental attributes can support this relationship.
Overall, our thesis contributes to a better understanding of how industry actors can be
organized on digital platform ecosystems to support circularity. In addition, the thesis provides
the fundamental attributes necessary to configure a digital platform ecosystem for circularity
in the construction industry. | en_US |
