Governance models of coopetition and innovation: the case of Spanish firms

Although numerous studies show that cooperation relates strongly to obtaining benefits in business innovation, few researchers have considered the role of competition in this relationship. Nevertheless, it is expected that firms can boost their innovation if they cooperate with competitors and with intermediaries. The aim of this study was to observe whether coopeting firms achieve high degrees of innovation. To accomplish this aim, we used a sample of innovative firms from the region of Valencia (Spain). The chosen region has specific structural characteristics, which are discussed later. Although the sampled firms compete with one another, they also collaborate with each other and with intermediaries (i.e., technology centres and local universities). Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) tested propositions established in the conceptual framework. Results show that when competing firms collaborate (i.e., when they 'coopete'), they are able to increase their degree of innovation.