Smart card industry: a technological system

The aim of this paper is to study smart card industry from a system perspective. This provides three analysis levels. First, it outlines a conceptual approach to the description and analysis of smart card as a complex and diversified technological cluster. Second, it highlights the market structure at three main different levels of downstream/upstream relationship. Third, it deals with the nature of the innovation process. This brings fundamental importance to our analysis. It involves the need for new organisational forms such as networking and system integrators, and co-opetition strategy.