Connecting the Dots: Data, Data Governance, and Data Ecosystems - How to Rethink Data Ecosystem Governance for Innovation (Emerald Points)

Connecting the Dots offers a timely and rigorous examination of how data ecosystem governance must evolve to support innovation, in an era defined by distributed, cross‑boundary data flows. Drawing on empirical cases and theoretical insights, this timely work illuminates why data ecosystems are essential for driving value creation and why governing them is uniquely challenging. By systematically integrating the literatures on data ecosystems and data governance, it provides a comprehensive framework for understanding why many data ecosystems struggle to scale and how their core dynamics shape both opportunities and risks.

Author Niloofar Kazemargi reveals the factors that must be addressed for data ecosystems to succeed—ranging from the nature of digital data to incentive structures, business models, regulatory environments, and issues of power and data control. Offering relevance across academia, practice, and public policy, it guides researchers seeking stronger theoretical foundations; practitioners designing governance structures in complex real‑world settings; and policymakers grappling with questions of ownership, ethics, and trust. Ultimately, it positions data ecosystem governance as a distinct paradigm and demonstrates how thoughtful, multi‑contextual governance is essential for fostering innovation while ensuring the long‑term sustainability of data ecosystems.