Co-opetition

Extracted Attributes

• Etymology

  Portmanteau of 'cooperation' and 'competition'

• Levels of Occurrence

  Inter-organizational (between companies) and intra-organizational (between internal departments or teams)

• Primary Applications

  Research and development, standard-setting, supply chain management, and AI model optimization

• Theoretical Foundation

  Game theory

Timeline

• John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern publish 'Theory of Games and Economic Behavior', laying the foundational game theory concepts that later support co-opetition. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1944-01-01

• Adam M. Brandenburger and Barry J. Nalebuff popularize the strategic concept in their seminal book 'Co-opetition'. (Source: Web Search)

  1996-01-01

• Harvard Business Review publishes 'The Rules of Co-opetition' by Brandenburger and Nalebuff, detailing how modern rivals work together. (Source: Web Search)

  2021-01-01

Coopetition

Coopetition (also spelled co-opetition, coopertition or co-opertition) is a concept in which firms or individuals engage in both cooperation and competition simultaneously. It describes situations where competing entities work together toward a common goal or share resources while still maintaining competitive interests in other areas. The term is a portmanteau of "cooperation" and "competition". In business strategy, coopetition can involve companies collaborating in areas like research and development, standard-setting, or supply chain management—while competing in product offerings or market share. For example, two technology firms might jointly develop a new platform standard while continuing to compete in the end-user market. Coopetition can occur at both the inter-organizational level, where companies partner with competitors, and the intra-organizational level, where departments or teams within the same organization both collaborate and compete for resources or influence. The concept is rooted in game theory, particularly in models that go beyond purely competitive (non-cooperative) or purely collaborative games. Foundational ideas were introduced in the 1944 book Theory of Games and Economic Behavior by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern, and further developed in the work of John Forbes Nash.

Web Search Results

• Coopetition - Wikipedia

  Neologism for cooperative competition For the book, see Coopetition (book) "Coopetition (book)"). For the 2000 FIRST Robotics Competition game, see Co-Opertition FIRST. Coopetition (also spelled co-opetition, coopertition or co-opertition) is a concept in which firms or individuals engage in both cooperation and competition simultaneously. It describes situations where competing entities work together toward a common goal or share resources while still maintaining competitive interests in other areas. The term is a portmanteau of "cooperation" and "competition". [...] In business strategy, coopetition can involve companies collaborating in areas like research and development, standard-setting, or supply chain management—while competing in product offerings or market share. For example, two technology firms might jointly develop a new platform standard while continuing to compete in the end-user market. Coopetition can occur at both the inter-organizational level, where companies partner with competitors, and the intra-organizational level, where departments or teams within the same organization both collaborate and compete for resources or influence. [...] Often coopetition takes place when companies that are in the same market work together in the exploration of knowledge and research of new products, at the same time that they compete for the market-share of their products and in the exploitation of the knowledge created. In this case, the interactions occur simultaneously and in different levels in the value chain. This is the case in the arrangement between PSA Peugeot Citroën and Toyota to share components for a new city car—simultaneously sold as the Peugeot 107, the Toyota Aygo, and the Citroën C1, where companies save money on shared costs while remaining fiercely competitive in other areas.

• What is Co-opetition? | Umbrex

  Umbrex Logo Umbrex Logo ## Field Guide to Strategy Concepts > # What is Co-opetition? ## 1. Definition and overview Co-opetition is a strategic concept that combines cooperation and competition between businesses. Coined by Adam M. Brandenburger and Barry J. Nalebuff in their 1996 book “Co-opetition,” the concept highlights how companies can achieve greater success by working together in some areas while competing in others. ## 2. Key components ## 3. Situations for which the concept is particularly well suited ## 4. Practical application ## 5. Benefits to using this concept in strategic planning ## 6. Further Reading ## Download the complete Field Guide to Strategy Concepts Field Guide to Strategy Concepts ### List of Strategy Concepts: Umbrex logo [...] ### List of Strategy Concepts: Umbrex logo Umbrex is the fastest, most reliable way to find the right independent management consultant for your projects. 90% of our consultants are alums of top tier consulting firms and have industry experience. Expertise of our consultants covers a broad range of services and industries. We offer global coverage, with consultants in 50+ countries. Services Industries Resources About Insights Contact Us For consultants © Copyright 2025 by Umbrex Designed by our friends at Filez

• Coopetition Explained: Definition, Benefits, and Business Examples

  ## The Bottom Line Coopetition is a strategic alliance in which businesses engage in both competition and cooperation for mutual benefit. Pfizer and BioNTech collaborated on the COVID-19 vaccine in a successful instance of coopetition. The technology industry' frequently uses coopetition as well, particularly between software and hardware firms. Advantages include market expansion, synergy creation, and potential for increased profitability. Coopetition can result in enhanced user growth and can be a strategy to combat larger competitors. Sponsored Personal Advice When You Need it Most [...] ASK ## What Is Coopetition? Coopetition is the act of cooperation between competing companies. Businesses that engage in both competition and cooperation are said to be in coopetition, expanding market reach and building business relationships. Certain businesses gain an advantage by using a judicious mixture of cooperation with suppliers, customers, and firms producing complementary or related products. Pfizer and BioNTech's coopetition is a notable example.This type of strategic alliancethat is particularly common between software and hardware firms. ## How Coopetition Works in Business [...] ## How Coopetition Works in Business Coopetition is a business ideology taken directly from insights gained from game theory. Coopetition games are statistical models that consider the ways in which synergy can be created by partnering with competitors. The tactic is thought to be a good business practice between two businesses because it can lead to the expansion of the market and the formation of new business relationships. In this capacity, agreements on standards and developing products across an industry or between two competitors are necessary to implement coopetition. Open a New Account Advertiser Disclosure ×

• What Is Coopetition & What Are Its Benefits?

  This approach transforms competitors and digital platforms from rivals into partners. Instead of fighting an uphill battle alone, businesses can combine strengths, reduce risk, and seize opportunities otherwise out of reach. As Harvard Business School Professor Feng Zhu, who teaches the online course Winning with Digital Platforms, says, “Your company may not be a platform and may not become a platform, but given the importance of platforms, it’s likely that your company will have to work with platforms.” ## What Is Coopetition and Why Does It Matter? Coopetition occurs when competing businesses collaborate for mutual benefits that neither could achieve alone. [...] Rather than weakening either brand, the partnership strengthened both. Apple enhanced its product offerings and improved brand perception, while Samsung reinforced its reputation for superior technology and received massive revenue streams. ### 4. Leverage Data and Resource Sharing Coopetition lets businesses learn from and grow alongside their competitors. By collaborating with companies that have different business models, organizations can share knowledge, identify best practices, anticipate trends, and make data-driven decisions that benefit everyone involved. Data is one of today’s most valuable assets. Through coopetition, businesses can harness shared data to improve every stage of the buying journey and convert customers more effectively. [...] In Winning with Digital Platforms, Zhu defines it as "the idea that a business may have to compete with another while cooperating with each other at the same time.” Unlike traditional competition's winner-takes-all mentality, coopetition finds the sweet spot where collaboration strengthens competitive advantage. Emerging companies gain brand visibility, new markets, and digital platform efficiency. Established leaders use these partnerships to reinforce brand loyalty, diversify offerings, and protect market dominance. A key question follows: Can your internal resources meet today’s market demands? For most, the answer is no—making strategic partnerships essential for sustaining brand health and organizational growth. Featured Course Winning with Digital Platforms

• The Rules of Co-opetition

  ## Summary. The moon landing just over 50 years ago is remembered as the culmination of a fierce competition between the United States and the USSR. But in fact, space exploration almost started with cooperation. President Kennedy proposed a joint mission to the moon when he met with Khrushchev in 1961 and again when he addressed the United Nations in 1963. It never came to pass, but in 1975 the Cold War rivals began working together on Apollo-Soyuz, and by 1998 the jointly managed International Space Station had ushered in an era of collaboration. Today a number of countries are trying to achieve a presence on the moon, and again there are calls for them to team up. Even the hypercompetitive Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk once met to discuss combining their Blue Origin and SpaceX ventures. [...] ## Explore HBR ## Popular Topics ## For Subscribers ## My Account # The Rules of Co-opetition Rivals are working together more than ever before. Here’s how to think through the risks and rewards. by Adam Brandenburger and Barry Nalebuff ## Summary. [...] ## Partner Center ### Explore HBR ### HBR Store ### About HBR ### Manage My Account ### Follow HBR Harvard Business Publishing: Copyright ©2026 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.