Garmin 轉型多元生態系策略

Abstract

本研究以臺灣國際航電（Garmin）為個案，探討其如何在智慧型手機與免費導航應用（如 iPhone、Google Maps）顛覆傳統導航產業結構的衝擊下，調整企業價值主張與營運模式，並成功轉型為橫跨多個垂直市場的多元生態系企業。Garmin 創立初期主要供應美國軍方 GPS 設備，其產品 GPS 100 在 1991 年海灣戰爭期間成為美軍標準配備，使手持式定位裝置廣泛應用於軍事用途。隨著 GPS 技術民用化，公司逐步將技術延伸至消費性電子市場，專注於高精度與高穩定性的導航裝置。然而，當車用導航市場因智慧型手機快速崛起而大幅萎縮，Garmin 並未選擇與平台型科技巨頭正面競爭，而是聚焦於核心技術與垂直整合優勢，重新定義其價值主張，從「提供高精度 GPS 裝置」轉型為「提供以顧客活動體驗為中心的整合性解決方案」，在此過程中，Garmin 的價值結構亦同步演變，由原先強調 GPS 技術與硬體整合的單一價值基礎，擴展加入資料回饋、服務內容與社群互動等元素，透過平台如 Garmin Connect 與開放架構 Connect IQ，建構出可跨場域應用、具備資料驅動與互動特性的價值網絡。這一價值結構重塑，為其後續生態系統擴展奠定了關鍵基礎。 在研究方法上，本文採用質性個案研究法，輔以文獻探討與次級資料分析，建構 Garmin 策略轉型的時間序列與價值演進脈絡。研究進一步應用 Ron Adner（2022）所提出之生態系策略架構與「最低可行生態系統」（Minimum Viable Ecosystem, MVE）概念，剖析 Garmin 如何由健康事業體起步，藉由裝置、平台與社群設計驗證其價值主張，吸引早期合作夥伴加入，進而採取階段性擴張策略，將核心價值元素延伸至航空、戶外、航海與車用 OEM 等其他垂直市場，實現跨場域的整合與協同效益。 此外，本文亦參考 Sunil Gupta（2018）所提出之數位策略象限模型，定位 Garmin 正逐步邁向右上象限，即結合互補產品與網絡效應的策略企業，透過模組化設計與場域間的橫向整合，Garmin 強化了各事業部之間的資料共享與平台連動機制，最終建構出如 Amazon 般「裝置＋平台＋服務＋社群」的系統性解決方案。與一般仰賴開放網絡規模的策略不同，Garmin 採取自小眾市場由內而外擴張的路徑，建立高度整合且具專業應用導向的深度生態系統，在2024 年Garmin 五大事業群皆實現營收成長，總體營收創下歷史新高，顯示其生態策略已展現出可擴張性與可持續性。 本研究結果說明，企業在面對數位轉型與平台競爭壓力下，應思考如何重新定義價值主張與重構價值結構，並透過早期生態系設計與階段性擴展策略，逐步建立具互補性與網絡效應的生態系統。

This research investigates the strategic transformation of Garmin Ltd., a Taiwan-based technology firm, in response to the disruption of the traditional personal navigation device (PND) industry by smartphones and free navigation applications such as the iPhone and Google Maps. Originally established to supply GPS devices to the U.S. military—most notably the GPS 100 model used during the Gulf War in 1991—Garmin later expanded into the consumer electronics market by offering high-precision and highly reliable GPS devices. However, as the automotive navigation market sharply declined due to the rise of smartphones, Garmin chose not to compete head-on with platform-based tech giants. Instead, it leveraged its core technologies and vertical integration capabilities to redefine its value proposition, shifting from “providing high-precision GPS hardware” to “offering integrated solutions centered on user activity experiences.” Along with this shift, Garmin’s value structure also evolved. While initially grounded in GPS technology and hardware integration, its structure was progressively enhanced through the addition of elements such as data feedback, service content, and community engagement. Through platforms like Garmin Connect and the open developer ecosystem Connect IQ, Garmin established a data-driven and interactive value network capable of spanning multiple vertical domains. This restructured value architecture laid the foundation for its subsequent ecosystem expansion. This study adopts a qualitative case study methodology, supplemented by literature review and secondary data analysis, to trace the timeline and value evolution of Garmin’s strategic transformation. By applying Ron Adner’s (2022) ecosystem strategy framework and the concept of the Minimum Viable Ecosystem (MVE), the research analyzes how Garmin initiated its ecosystem from the health business unit. Through early-stage device deployment, platform interaction, and community engagement, the company validated its value proposition, attracted key early partners, and implemented a phased expansion strategy that extended its core value elements into other vertical markets, including aviation, outdoor, marine, and automotive OEMs. This process facilitated cross-domain integration and ecosystem synergy. In addition, the study incorporates Sunil Gupta’s (2018) Digital Strategy Matrix to position Garmin as a firm transitioning toward the upper-right quadrant—characterized by integration of complementary products and strong network effects. Through modular design and horizontal integration across business domains, Garmin enhanced data sharing and platform connectivity among its five business units, ultimately developing a systematic “device + platform + service + community” ecosystem model comparable to that of Amazon. Rather than relying on broad-scale open networks, Garmin followed an inside-out growth path starting from niche markets, thereby building a highly integrated and application-specific deep ecosystem. In 2024, all five of Garmin’s business units achieved revenue growth, and the company reached record-high annual revenue, demonstrating the scalability and sustainability of its ecosystem strategy. The findings suggest that in the face of digital transformation and platform-based competition, firms must proactively redefine their value propositions and reconstruct their value structures. By designing early-stage ecosystems and implementing phased expansion, companies can gradually develop ecosystems characterized by complementarity and network effects.