Internationalization through business models - a case study of Swedish cleantech firms

Abstract

Though in the innovative and technological forefront of cleantech, Swedish firms must become better at commercializing clean technology and to capitalize on international opportunities. Furthermore, firms’ business models are sources of competitiveness and serve as instruments to commercialize technology. To internationalize and compete in increasingly global and complex environments, a good business model is therefore crucial. Yet, business model- and internationalization research have largely been carried out as separated fields, with few studies investigating how business models are used when and affected by internationalization. To address this research gap, multiple case study research of eight Swedish cleantech firms within the energy efficiency sector were carried out. Interviews were conducted with managers at the participating firms to explore how they had utilized the business model during internationalization. The results show that certain business model design traits and business model adaptations facilitates internationalization of the firm. Specifically, our results indicate that the business model design traits of customer centricity, business and product development focus, and prominent use of partnerships and business network facilitates internationalization. The findings also show that business model adaptations are a prerequisite for internationalization, due to differences that exist among international markets. Finally, the results indicate that the firm strategy is an important influencer on the choice of business model design and adaptations for internationalization.