Innovation mechanism of AI empowering manufacturing enterprises: case study of an industrial internet platform

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the core driving force for innovation and development of manufacturing enterprises. This paper selects Haier COSMOPLAT as a case study to systematically discuss the evolution process and internal mechanism of AI-enabled manufacturing enterprise innovation. First, in the start-up stage, the industrial internet platform empowers manufacturing innovation along the path of resource patchwork to platform empowerment to dependency-oriented symbiosis, promoting the cocreation of economic value between manufacturing enterprises and platforms. Next, in the growth stage, the industrial internet platform empowers manufacturing enterprise innovation along the path of resource orchestration to field empowerment to nested symbiosis, boosting the cocreation of network value between manufacturing enterprises and platforms. Finally, in the maturity stage, the industrial internet platform empowers manufacturing enterprises to innovate along the path of resource coordination to ecological empowerment to equality symbiosis, advancing the cocreation of ecological value between manufacturing enterprises and platforms. This study not only enriches AI-enabled manufacturing innovation research area but also provides beneficial management enlightenment to accelerate the intelligent transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry.