Digital Platforms, AI and Value Capture

Introduction

Please note that this is a preliminary course description. The final version will be published in June 2026.

Digital platforms have become the dominant architecture of the digital economy, enabling new forms of value creation and capture through data, algorithms, and network effects. Artificial Intelligence (AI) now plays a critical role in amplifying these capabilities, shaping platform strategies, user experiences, and monetization models. From global tech giants such as Amazon, Google or Tencent to emerging hyperlocal digital ventures, organizations are leveraging platforms powered by AI to redefine business models, disrupt markets, and create scalable ecosystems. However, these developments also raise questions about control over data, market concentration, and equitable value distribution.

This course explores how digital platforms and AI intersect to create, deliver, and capture value. Students will gain strategic insight into digital platform design, digital innovation management, and the economic and societal implications of data-driven business models. Through practical tools and critical discussion, students will learn to assess opportunities, design platform-based solutions, and pitch sustainable, scalable digital ventures.

Course content

Part 1 – Digital Innovation: Understanding the Foundations

This part introduces the theoretical and practical foundations of digital innovation, with an emphasis on the transformative impact of artificial intelligence. It explores how technological advancements enable new value creation, disrupt markets, and redefine organizational capabilities. Students will engage with concepts such as innovation processes, digital transformation, and ethical design, laying the groundwork for platform development.

Guiding questions:

• What types of innovation and business models are useful to create new value?
• How to apply digital innovation to understand business opportunities and threats to organizations?  
• How does AI drive new forms of digital innovation?
• What are the implications of AI for product and service developments?

Part 2 – Platform Strategy: Prioritizing and Prototyping

Good platforms are rooted in a consistent strategy, they are intuitive in their architecture, convincing in their design with content that is highly accessible through organic web searches and they fit seamlessly into the broader platform ecosystem. This part will take you through all stages of a platform development project combining theory on platform and content strategizing, insight from practitioners and hands-on work with user experience management tools.

Guiding questions:

• How can we identify and prioritize user needs and goals? (Platform Strategy)
• How can we create compelling platform architecture and user experiences? (UX Strategy)
• How can we identify and plan engaging content (Content and SEO/SEA Strategy)
• How can we manage a digital platform project on the business side? (Project Plan)
• How can we measure our platform’s success? (KPI Dashboard)
• How can we ensure inclusivity, accessibility, and ethical use of data and AI? (GDPR)

Part 3 – Business Models: Capturing and Sustaining Value
This part focuses on how digital platforms capture and sustain value through business models, pricing strategies, data governance, and stakeholder management. Students will learn to articulate how platform mechanisms generate revenues, foster loyalty, and adapt to changing regulatory and ethical landscapes. Key topics include value proposition design, monetization models, KPI dashboards, and continuous learning from user behaviour.

Guiding questions:

• Which business models best support sustainable value creation in digital platform ecosystems?
• How can platforms monetize their offerings while ensuring trust, privacy, and regulatory compliance?
• What key metrics should be tracked to evaluate platform performance and guide refinement?