On the implementation of a DBE to improve SME collaboration

Abstract

In this paper the authors describe the implementation of an ecologically inspired Digital Business Ecosystem (DBE) to promote and improve business collaboration by allowing Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) to find partners for interaction. Building on the analysis of how biologically-inspired computing is useful to represent business interactions and how small firms can benefit from this, the authors employ a methodology for defining ecological interactions among agents (SMEs) in a multi-agent system for the implementation of MADBE, an open-source Multi-Agent DBE. With MADBE, SMEs are able to publish their characteristics, services and needs and the system, using an intelligent protocol of interaction, simulates business interactions and suggests the optimal collaborative links between the participant firms that ultimately can derive in new joint ventures.