The strategic alliances and partnerships are key for creation of technology based firms and companies, especially because collaboration is an ally of innovation. The collaboration enables entrepreneurs and small companies to access R&D projects, which are difficult to finance individually. To achieve this, there are different types of agreements and collaboration legalized forms, to favour the commercial exploitation of competitive advantages.

The most common types of associations are:

  • Company Merger: concentration of companies through the union of two or more legally independent persons, who decide to unite their assets to create a new company from which to execute the operation.
  • Joint-Venture: temporary strategic association of one or more independent legal entities to undertake a specific business or project. Economic interest group: commercial legal entities created to facilitate the development of their partners’ business, providing support in auxiliary matters. It would be equivalent to traditional business groups.
  • Corporate venturing: direct participation of a large company in the entrepreneurial capital to drive the business. Corresponds to investments in startups of large companies.
  • Collaboration agreements: specific alliances with strategic partners for the development of joint projects, where all parties benefit from their results and contribute resources.

More information: Technological cooperation.