비즈니스 생태계 구축을 통한 중소기업의 글로벌화: 유니버설 로봇(Universal Robots) 사례를 중심으로

In recent years, the emergence of digital platforms and business ecosystems has brought many changes in the global value chain. Thus, more studies are needed to understand how the construction of business ecosystems contributes to the global value chain and firms' globalization. Accordingly, this study analyzed the case of Universal Robots (UR), a Danish manufacturer of collaborative robots that has built a business ecosystem and grown into a global company. UR created the collaborative robot sector and has grown into a global company, although it had limited resources as a startup company. So, it is a suitable case for analyzing the globalization of companies through business ecosystem strategies. The results of this study show that UR has built a platform-based business ecosystem by constructing a collaborative robot system into a modular architecture and connecting peripheral developers, SI (System Integrator) companies, distributors, and consumers. In particular, through an official interview with UR’s marketing director, this study examined the detailed processes of 1) establishing the UR+ ecosystem, 2) providing educational programs, and 3) collaborating with SI and distributors. Therefore, this study analyzed the overall process of building platform-based business ecosystems. This study showed that the business ecosystem could promote the globalization of SMEs by reshaping the relationships between agents in the value chain and reducing the importance of geographical proximity of agents. These findings contribute to the existing global value chain literature by suggesting the perspectives of business ecosystems. It also has significant implications for practitioners by describing UR's strategy for building a global business ecosystem.