Mapping and identifying technological coopetition: a multi-level approach

Firms competing over technologies are often forced to collaborate while pursuing their risky research and development (R&D); this is called “technological coopetition.” Such coopetition creates complex interfirm technological relationships, which vary according to the technology field wherein the competition and cooperation are occurring. This study proposes a framework by which to map and identify technological coopetition at both the interfirm and industry levels in order to clarify the complex relational state of technological coopetition. The framework distinguishes between coopetition types by considering the relatedness between the technology areas in which competition and cooperation occur, while showing how interfirm relationships change over time. At the industry level, the framework shows the technology fields in which competition, cooperation, and coopetition occur frequently. We illustrate the framework by applying it to the semiconductor industry. This study is expected to contribute to the coopetition literature as well as R&D management practice.