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.