The implications of multi-sided platforms in managing digital business ecosystems

•The implications of multi-sided platforms (MSPs) in managing digital business ecosystems were examined.•Special focus on the MSP utilization as a marketplace in the Finnish manufacturing ecosystem.•Benefits of an MSP for the ecosystem members and the entire ecosystem were presented.•New business opportunities opened in an MSP were showed.•Also challenges related to the utilization of an MSP in a DBE were presented. Industrial organizations are increasingly engaging in multi-sided platforms (MSPs) to facilitate the formation of digital business ecosystems. These platforms enable networked business, where multiple partners interact to create value throughout the ecosystem. This study examines the implications of MSPs in managing digital business ecosystems by obtaining feedback from industry actors through a case study of MSP utilization as a marketplace in the Finnish manufacturing ecosystem. Interviews are conducted with various participants representing different companies and roles in the ecosystem. The results show the perceived benefits of an MSP for the ecosystem members and entire ecosystem, and new business opportunities unlocked by an MSP. Finally, MSPs can transform the business models of both production mills and technology leaders.