An asymmetric perspective on coopetitive strategies

Situations of 'coopetition' may well become the dominant logic of many industrial sectors. Their common feature is a strategy that obstructs independent and discretionary innovation by forcing companies to share the exploitation and/or exploration of critical assets with competing firms. These new coopetitive dynamics raise the question of adapting the innovation strategies of the small and medium firms that can enable them to maintain their place in the coopetitive game without losing their individual capacity for innovation. It also raises the issue of formulating innovation strategies that can integrate the coopetitive component as a strategic advantage, rather than enduring its puzzling architecture. This article proposes to explore two original processes of innovation which attempt to respond, in their different ways, to the transformation of the firms' environments into coopetitive arenas.