Economic catalyst

Economic catalyst

The term economic catalyst is is widely used in in the field of economy to describe entrepreneurs or companies who precipate a fundamental change in business or technology. A more precise definition of catalyst is based on the new economics of multi-sided platforms. In this literature an "economic catalyst" is an entity that has (a) two or more groups of customers; (b) who need each other in some way; but (c) can't capture the value from their mutual attraction on their own; and (d) rely on the catalyst to facilitate value-reaction reactions between them. For-profit businesses, joint ventures, cooperatives, standard-setting bodies, and governments operate catalysts.

The payment card industry illustrates the concept. Diners Club was the first modern payment card. It was introduced in 1950. To create this product Diners Club had to get two groups of customers on board. Consumers who wanted to pay with a card and merchants who wanted to accept payment with this card. These two groups of customers each wanted the card to consummate transactions between them. Any type of heterosexual dating environment also exemplifies economic catalyst. A nightclub needs men and women and facilitates their meeting and interacting.

Catalysts are the businesses at the heart of the new economics of two-sided markets. They are multi-sided platforms.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Catalyst (disambiguation) — Catalyst may refer to: Chemistry * Catalyst in chemistry * Catalyst (museum), a hands on science centre and chemical industry museum in Widnes in Cheshire in England [http://www.catalyst.org.uk/index.htm] Music, television and literature *… …   Wikipedia

  • Catalyst Code — infobox Book | name = The Catalyst Code: The Strategies Behind the World s Most Dynamic Companies orig title = translator = author = David S. Evans Richard L. Schmalensee cover artist = country = United States language = English series = subject …   Wikipedia

  • Economic Affairs — ▪ 2006 Introduction In 2005 rising U.S. deficits, tight monetary policies, and higher oil prices triggered by hurricane damage in the Gulf of Mexico were moderating influences on the world economy and on U.S. stock markets, but some other… …   Universalium

  • Economic history of Britain — This is a history of the economy of the United Kingdom and of the countries that joined to form it in 1707 and 1801.Early historyIn Britain s earliest history agriculture was overwhelmingly dominant. The most important export was cassiterite,… …   Wikipedia

  • Economic history of the United Kingdom — The economic history of the United Kingdom deals with the history of the economy of the United Kingdom from the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain on May 1st, 1707,[1] with the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of… …   Wikipedia

  • Economic history of Greece and the Greek world — The economic history of the Greek World spans several millennia and encompasses many modern day nation states. Since the focal point of the center of the Greek World often changed it is necessary to enlarge upon all these areas as relevant to the …   Wikipedia

  • Economic Development Board — The Economic Development Board (Abbreviation: EDB; Chinese: 经济发展局) is a statutory board of the Government of Singapore that plans and executes strategies to sustain Singapore as a leading global hub for business and investment.It enables… …   Wikipedia

  • catalyst — noun /ˈkæt.əl.ɪst,ˈkæt.ə.lɪst/ a) A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process. Enzymes, the catalysts of biological systems, are remarkable molecular devices that determine the pattern of… …   Wiktionary

  • Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy — The Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP) is the research arm of the social sciences at Columbia University. ISERP works to produce pioneering social science research and to shape public policy by integrating knowledge and …   Wikipedia

  • Nanomaterial based catalyst — Nanomaterial based catalysts are usually heterogeneous catalysts broken up into nanoparticles in order to speed up the catalytic process. The extremely small size of the particles maximizes the surface area exposed to the reactant, allowing more… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”