Coevolution mechanisms of stakeholder strategies in the green building technologies innovation ecosystem: An evolutionary game theory perspective

High carbon emissions, excessive pollution, and inefficiency are common challenges in the construction sector. Related studies showed that developing innovative green building technologies (GBTs) supports the sustainable growth of the sector. However, previous studies on GBTs innovation failed to consider the interactions of stakeholder strategies and external environment changes, which reflects the complex and systemic nature of the GBTs innovation. This study aims to improve GBTs innovation by examining the coevolution mechanism of stakeholder strategies under dynamically changing external environment in the GBTs innovation ecosystem. Delphi was used to identify internal and external factors affecting major stakeholders' mutual relationships. A tripartite evolutionary game model which comes from the evolutionary game theory (EGT) was developed using data collected from expert interviews and public records. The results showed that with and without government subsidies, the three focal innovation entities' strategic decisions are differentially interdependent, demonstrated by parameter changes and transmission effect. The interdependence of the three-game stakeholders and the interaction with external environment constitute the evolutionary mechanism of GBTs innovation ecosystem. The scenario simulation further revealed the evolutionary trend of the GBTs innovation ecosystem that eventually evolves from the initial stage of low-order (independent symbiosis) to higher-order (mutualistic symbiosis). The research is innovative because it not only constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model that is more consistent with GBTs innovation during the construction phase of a building project, but also combines EGT and innovation ecosystems, expanding their theoretical boundaries and practical applications. The outcomes may benefit various stakeholders making more informed decisions.