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1. Introduction
Platform-related studies have multiplied at an astonishing rate over recent years (Thomas et al., 2014). However, there are still few theoretical explanations of how new platform businesses have abruptly upended their industries (Van Alstyne et al., 2016), or what theoretical underpinnings and systematic guidance really work for the platformization of traditional businesses (Zhao et al., 2015). It has been pointed out that theoretical work on platform-based service innovations and system design has lagged behind business practice (Suarez and Cusumano, 2009; Thomas et al., 2014). This is partly because platform studies have been rooted in different intellectual traditions and distinct theoretical perspectives and levels (Gawer, 2014; Thomas et al., 2014). The consequent limited and divided research agenda constrains the exploration of both system design and service innovation actions; these areas require a comprehensive and coherent theoretical grounding (Gawer, 2014).
Moreover, although there are many descriptive and case-based studies on how platform design their systems and provide innovative services, they cannot fully reflect the complexity and ever evolving new features of platform practices. The findings of previous studies have been mainly derived from famous case examples in advanced economies (e.g. Airbnb, Apple, Facebook, etc.). Platforms in advanced economies tend to have standardized structures and partnerships, whereas platforms in emerging economies like China are more often still undergoing the platformization process, with complicated and dynamic structures and sometimes highly influenced by government policy.
In order to fill the research gap and provide a coherent summary of the platform literature, with a focus on platform-based service innovation and system design, in a complementary paper, “Platform-based service innovation and system design: A literature review”, we have synthesized a framework of topics and research perspectives to reveal the interactions between platform service innovation, system design and other related factors. Based on that foundation, the objective of this paper, therefore, is to explore research opportunities in platform-based service innovation and system design, with a focus on emerging markets. We choose the Chinese market as the main research object, where the platform business approach has been widely adopted not only by companies in new internet-related industries (e.g. Tencent, Alibaba) but also by those in traditional manufacturing industries (e.g. Haier, E-coal). These platform firms were also encouraged...