The role of value constellation innovation to develop sustainable service systems

Purpose – The present article first introduces sustainable service system as an new innovative business approach to solve human needs in a much more sustainable ways. In order to better understand the deployment of a system innovation and the correlated value constellation innovation, this paper analyses the ongoing development of the Auto-Lib car sharing system in Paris by Bolloré. Autolib is a new mobility service system that will offer 3,000 electric vehicles that can be picked up and dropped off at various locations around Paris. Design/Methodology/approach – The research design is based on a longitudinal in-depth case study. This first paper aims to document the current stage of development of the Autolib and has an exploratory character. Findings – The key components of the Autolib system network of actors, infrastructure, products and services are detailed and fully explained. Implications – Implications of this research are numerous. Theoretically, it introduces the concept of sustainable service system and it relates it to system innovation, product-service systems, value constellation, service-dominant logic and related streams of research. Practically, it helps to better understand the conditions and the challenges to develop sustainable service systems. Socially, it tries to analyze much more sustainable new ways of meeting human needs. Originality/Value – this article contributes to bridge the research/practice gap and integrates sustainable development in the research agenda of system innovation.