**3.1 Design**

This study investigated contemporary events involving actors and interactions in emerging economy ecosystems. As the author was interested in understanding the dynamics within the phenomenon [27] and exploring the emergence and evolution of IEs, a "how" question was posed to guide the research. Data were accessed from diverse sources, such as project reports, requirement lists, public documents, and interviews. Based on these conditions, the author adopted the case study methodology [28] to identify the fundamental entities, their relationships, the main events, and what causes them to happen [29]. In addition, the study investigated multiple cases to provide compelling evidence and more robust conclusions [28]. Multiple cases increase external validity and help avoid observer bias [30].
