Partnerships and Servitization in the Heavy-Truck Industry : A Case Study of the Original Equipment Manufacturers' Ecosystem

Abstract: Technological transformations are changing the demands within the transportation industry in terms of services, consequently affecting the value proposition of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), thus calling for the need for initiatives in servitization. Responding to this, manufacturers are initiating partnerships with external actors to secure resources, competency and similar. However, the topic of this is relatively- unexplored for manufacturers within the heavy-truck industry, contributing to uncertainties regarding the elements needed for partnerships and successful servitization initiatives within this context. Hence, the purpose of this thesis has been to investigate relational changes between actors caused by higher levels of servitization inthe heavy-truck industry. To fulfill this, a case study was conducted with a central focus on two heavy-truck and seven other connected actors OEMs in Sweden. The study has been of qualitative character and utilizes theory concerning ecosystem transformation in conjunction with product-service systems.  The findings underline eight partnership elements crucial for navigating servitization in the heavy-truck industry, with implications for collaborative efforts and in-depth partnerships within the OEM ecosystem. Further, it is argued that these elements have to be considered in the context of transforming the business model for OEMs towards being more service-oriented. Thus, the influences on network tactics are elaborated upon for the business models in the product-service system. Overall, it is concluded that servitization within the heavy-truck industry is necessary for OEMs in order to acquire future competitive advantage parallel to technological transformations, and establishing partnerships is considered to aid in this due to the ever-changing landscape in the transportation industry calling for the need of strategic collaboration efforts.