Computational Foundations for Strategic Coopetition: Formalizing Interdependence and Complementarity

TL;DR

This paper develops a formal computational framework for analyzing strategic coopetition, integrating qualitative dependency models with quantitative game-theoretic analysis, validated through extensive experiments and a real-world case study.

Contribution

It introduces a novel formalization of interdependence and complementarity in coopetition, bridging qualitative models and quantitative analysis within a unified framework.

Findings

Robustness of the formal model across different functional forms.

Successful validation through over 22,000 experimental trials.

Empirical application to the Samsung-Sony joint venture.

Abstract

Coopetition refers to simultaneous cooperation and competition among actors who "cooperate to grow the pie and compete to split it up." Modern socio-technical systems are characterized by strategic coopetition in which actors concomitantly cooperate to create value and compete to capture it. While conceptual modeling languages such as i* provide rich qualitative representations of strategic dependencies, they lack mechanisms for quantitative analysis of dynamic trade-offs. Conversely, classical game theory offers mathematical rigor but strips away contextual richness. This technical report bridges this gap by developing computational foundations that formalize two critical dimensions of coopetition: interdependence and complementarity. We ground interdependence in i* structural dependency analysis, translating depender-dependee-dependum relationships into quantitative interdependence coefficients through a structured translation framework. We formalize complementarity following Brandenburger and Nalebuff's Added Value concept, modeling synergistic value creation with validated parameterization. We integrate structural dependencies with bargaining power in value appropriation and introduce a game-theoretic formulation where Nash Equilibrium incorporates structural interdependence. Validation combines comprehensive experimental testing comprising over 22,000 trials across power and logarithmic value function specifications, demonstrating functional form robustness, with empirical application to the Samsung-Sony S-LCD joint venture (2004-2011). This technical report serves as the foundational reference for a coordinated research program examining strategic coopetition in multi-agent systems, with companion work addressing trust dynamics, collective action, and reciprocity mechanisms.