18243: Interfirm Collaboration and Technological Advancements

Interfirm collaborations have long been recognized as a vital strategy for firms to navigate complex and dynamic business environments. These partnerships serve diverse purposes, such as achieving efficiency by reducing production and transaction costs (Williamson, 1991), accessing or developing resources that are otherwise unavailable in strategic factor markets (Hagedoorn & Schakenraad, 1990; Nohria & Garcia Pont, 1991; Powell et al., 1996; Singh & Mitchell, 1996), and acquiring knowledge or expertise through learning from partners (Hamel, 1991; Khanna et al., 1998). The multifaceted nature of interfirm collaborations has prompted scholars in the strategy field to adopt a range of theoretical perspectives to study their formation, governance, and outcomes. However, recent technological advancements—such as the proliferation of digital platforms and ecosystems, the increasing availability of data, and the rise of generative artificial intelligence—are reshaping the landscape of interfirm collaborations. These changes present both new challenges and opportunities for firms. In this symposium, we aim to revisit the traditional theories and scholarly findings on interfirm collaboration to assess whether these theories remain applicable in today’s digital economy and provide new insights where updates are needed. Our goal is to share recent advancements and groundbreaking research in this area, while also opening up new avenues for exploring how technological innovations are changing the dynamics of interfirm collaboration, altering the balance between competition and cooperation, and influencing decisions about firm boundaries.