Closing reflections: the future is cooperation

Abstract

In concluding the book, Chapter 25 argues that cooperation is becoming the preferred strategy for business and public organizations to adopt in the new economy. It is taking on new forms that are adapted to changing market expectations and new technological possibilities in the rapidly evolving business environment. New technologies such as ICT and blockchain are reducing the potential for and value of partner opportunism, making cooperation more efficient and less costly while enabling managers to pinpoint potential partners for ever more focused purposes. Cooperative strategy offers a viable solution for pooling together the required resources to seize the opportunities offered by Industry 4.0, which is driven by AI, the Internet of Things, and Big Data. Looking ahead, the personalization of technologies envisaged in Industry 5.0 will require an increasing number of collaborations between organizations from different sectors, both firms and social/public bodies.