University Education as a Networked Service for Competence Co-creation

Our societies need game changers that have the competencies to develop emerging business ecosystems based on digital data. We claim that these competencies can be taught through a networked education service process between students, companies of the emerging ecosystem, and university teachers. We present a case study of two university courses in Industrial Management that deal with networked business process development and management, and co-development intervention methods. Both courses include student assignments on an emerging ecosystem case. The assignments were integrated into the studying process through co-creative workshops with the case representatives. According to the results, all actors in the networked education process received value. First of all, the students accumulated competencies and expertise in developing business ecosystems. Facilitated by the students, the company representatives co-created in the workshops a shared understanding of their collaborative service process and service model, which triggered real-life innovations. The teachers realized their new roles and tasks as the "process owners" of the education service. - The results support the networked service approach in university education for competence co-creation. More experimental case and action research applying this approach is clearly worthwhile in all disciplines where students need to co-create competences in interaction with external actors that represent the field in practice.