Smart knowledge management driving green transformation: A comparative case study

Large energy companies and energy startups are increasingly focusing their resources to build new businesses concerning smart energy systems (SES). The development and integration of related innovative technologies for green transformation with traditional business models are often hampered, however, by the challenge of parallel management of exploitation of current business areas, and the exploration of new business areas with breakthrough innovation. While knowledge management could be key in this balancing strategy and shifting the organization to a more sustainable future, little is known about the challenges in the context of the energy sector. Applying a comparative case study method at a large energy company and a small energy startup, path dependency is reflected in KMS design in both cases, which could result in a slower shift to new technologies in case of the incumbent, and slower exploitation of the technological innovation in case of the startup. If a partnership is not an option for simulating structural ambidexterity, energy companies could speed up green transformation individually with smart knowledge management systems (SKMS) that support the development of contextual ambidexterity and SES.