This paper seeks to conceptualize individual orchestration competence and determine its core attributes relevant to the coordination of innovation ecosystems. A structured literature review was undertaken covering the period 2006–2024, with adopted as the central theoretical and conceptual lens. The review drew on Scopus and Web of Science databases, complemented by seminal publications, books, journal articles, and reference lists of the selected studies. The study underscores the importance of specific competencies for actors performing orchestration roles within innovation ecosystems. In response, we introduce the notion of individual orchestration competence and delineate its key attributes. Building on this, we propose an Individual Orchestration Competence Theoretical Model for Innovation Ecosystems. This work contributes to the orchestration literature by extending prevailing network and ecosystem orchestration perspectives. It shifts the analytical focus from roles, activities, and dimensional views of orchestration to a more integrated, evolving competence-based ecosystem model. The study contributes theoretically by introducing the construct of individual orchestration competence and its defining attributes, while also extending existing frameworks toward a competence-centered approach. On the managerial side, it clarifies the competencies required of orchestrators within innovation ecosystems. From a societal perspective, the findings help orchestrators better comprehend their influence and relevance within innovation ecosystems. Prior research on orchestration has largely emphasized roles, activities, and structural dimensions. Although recent contributions have explored different orchestrator roles, conceptual development remains limited. This study advances the field by focusing on the individual level—the orchestrator—and introducing a novel model of individual orchestration competence.
