世界银行-大规模模块化生态系统：理解数字时代复杂产业的框架（英）

Policy Research Working Paper11106Massive Modular EcosystemsA Framework for Understanding Complex Industries in the Digital AgeEric ThunDaria TaglioniTimothy J. SturgeonMark P. DallasDevelopment Economics Development Research GroupApril 2025 Public Disclosure AuthorizedPublic Disclosure AuthorizedPublic Disclosure AuthorizedPublic Disclosure AuthorizedProduced by the Research Support TeamAbstractThe Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.Policy Research Working Paper 11106The rapid evolution of the global economy, driven by digitization and modularization, has outpaced existing theoretical tools. This paper proposes a unified analytical framework for understanding the complexity of digital industries through the lens of Massive Modular Ecosystems. To operationalize this concept, the paper develops a system-atic methodology for mapping prevailing and alternative governance structures across interconnected, layered, and nested ecosystems. Synthesizing insights from the global value chain governance, modularity and standards, and business ecosystem literatures, the paper demonstrates how modular governance enables distributed innovation, while non-modular governance structures—including captive supply relationships, relational partnerships, and hierar-chical control—support greater value capture and strategic control. The defining element of a Massive Modular Eco-system is not that every relationship is purely modular, but that non-modular relationships operate in a “sea of mod-ularity,” a context where modularity prevails. Using a case study of the mobile phone industry, the paper depicts a Massive Modular Ecosystem characterized by a dynamic mix of internalization and outsourcing, with a few domi-nant players in each sub-ecosystem but no dominant actor overall. The study explores the broader implications of Mas-sive Modular Ecosystems, including their impact on market structure, technological innovation, and global-scale eco-nomic geography. Increasing geographic specialization and clustering of sub-ecosystems create strong interdependen-cies across countries, making aggressive policy interventions risky and potentially leading to unintended consequences. Efforts to build self-sufficient domestic industries may be impractical and costly, while attempts to decouple from Massive Modular Ecosystems can lead to exclusio