Abstract
This research explores the operational dynamics of value co-creation within Nepal’s hydropower sector. It provides exploratory quantitative evidence for how the diverse network actors that take part in the hydropower value chain are intertwined and interact - conceptualized as business ecosystem within this study.
Besides identifying who the different ecosystem actors are and how they operate this study considers when and why this ecosystem emerged and whether it is operating efficiently. The country in which the value chain lies, has abundant hydropower resources and significant potential to export electricity. Nevertheless, Nepal is net importer of electricity and has one of the lowest per capita consumptions in the world. Hydropower development is a capital intensive and complex venture, where individual actors need to cooperate well, since projects of this kind cannot be achieved easily and by individual organizations that operate independently.
The study finds, that the value chain has benefited from the emergence of private hydropower developers, the so-called Independent Power Producers as these have adapted the important operational strategy of a niche player. By taking over parts of the value chain they have reduced value capture by the dominating and historically inefficient state utility. Nevertheless, the study argues that the value chain continues to have various bottlenecks, which could be reduced by increasing interconnectivity and data sharing within the sector. Additionally, the network actors need to create a masterplan for the ecosystem. The study concludes by indicating how the organizational dynamics can be further optimized, if some of the ecosystem actors were to adapt their operational strategy.
Educations | MSc in International Business and Politics, (Graduate Programme) Final Thesis |
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Language | English |
Publication date | 2020 |
Number of pages | 79 |
Supervisors | Verena Girschik |