The prosumption of prosumers

How can we better understand the phenomenon of prosumerism, in the changing energy ecosystem of the electric utility industry in particular, but also more generally, and how can we use the insight to create business models tailored for such "producing consumers"? The term "prosumption" (Toffler, 1980) is a merging of production and consumption, and today has the meaning that the consumer is actively involved in a business process. Although prosumption in sharing economies, renewable energy and open innovations becomes an increasingly important resource for markets and companies, the literature is still lagging behind. There are significant gaps in understanding the phenomenon, its role in business networks and how companies can (and should) relate to prosumers, as well as understanding how and why some but not all consumers turn to prosumerism.