Beyond Zero-Sum: A Systematic Review of Coopetition Mechanisms in Technology-Enabled Transport Ecosystems

The transport sector is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digitalization, platform economics, and the proliferation of data-sharing technologies. Despite this evolution, a critical paradox persists: firms that are direct competitors increasingly depend on one another to create, deliver, and capture value within shared technological ecosystems. Traditional competitive analysis, grounded in zero-sum logic, fails to explain this reality adequately. Coopetition—the simultaneous pursuit of competition and collaboration among firms—has emerged as a theoretical lens capable of bridging this gap, yet its mechanisms within technology-enabled transport ecosystems remain insufficiently synthesized. This paper addresses the problem of fragmented and theoretically inconsistent knowledge regarding how coopetition mechanisms operate within digitally mediated transport environments, including ride-hailing platforms, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) systems, autonomous vehicle networks, and logistics technology ecosystems. The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize extant literature and identify the key mechanisms, success factors, and theoretical frameworks governing coopetition in digital transport platforms. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, a structured search was conducted across three major academic databases—Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore—covering the period 2018 to 2026. A total of 74 peer-reviewed articles were included after systematic screening and quality appraisal. Thematic analysis and framework synthesis were employed to derive conceptual categories from the selected literature. The findings reveal four primary coopetition mechanisms operative in technology-enabled transport ecosystems: data-sharing alliances, interoperability agreements, joint infrastructure investments, and co-regulatory engagement. These mechanisms are moderated by trust calibration, governance architecture, and the design of value appropriation rules. The review further finds that platform boundary conditions, digital network effects, and regulatory environments significantly influence whether coopetition yields competitive advantage or destabilizing tensions. It is recommended that transport platform firms adopt structured coopetition governance frameworks that delineate collaboration scope, protect proprietary assets, and enable scalable coordination. Policymakers should create adaptive regulatory sandboxes that facilitate coopetitive innovation without foreclosing competition. Future research should explore coopetition dynamics in emerging transport contexts such as urban air mobility and freight platform ecosystems.

Keywords: Coopetition, transport ecosystems, digital platforms, MaaS, platform governance, value co-creation, competitive collaboration