Examining Competitive Strategy of Manufacturing Firms in Digital Evolution with Platform Theory

As the use of AI and big data advances in the manufacturing industry, we are seeing changes in manufacturing, including the shift to digital services. In this paper, we used platform theory to examine the current state of digital innovation in the manufacturing industry and competitive strategies with other industries, including Internet platformers like GAFA. The IoT applications of existing companies such as Komatsu and GE are not in a position to directly compete with B2C Internet platformers, but the network effect of the platform economy will use the power to rapidly transform the industrial structure. As a manufacturing company, it is essential to promote the development of digital services that utilize customer data. In addition, the importance of strategies that focus on building an ecosystem that includes companies in other industries is increasing, and the ability to predict the future through scenario analysis and the ability to respond flexibly to changes in circumstances is required.