Public Innovation Policies in the Face of Digital Transaction Platforms

The aim of this article is to enrich our thinking on the development and implementation of public innovation policies (PIP) by comparing them with digital transaction platforms (DTP). As new market intermediaries, DTP exert pressure on public policies. They are forcing the public sphere to rethink its actions and adapt. We therefore examine the transformations engendered by PDTs on PPI, using a qualitative Gioia methodology. The study allows us to operationalize the different types of PPI and highlights the mechanisms at play in PPI responses to platforms (imitation, defence and integration mechanisms). The results show that the development of platforms can be detrimental to the public interest, without public players being able to find effective solutions. A more mission-oriented approach and more systematic interactions between platforms and public players are recommended.