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RESHUFFLE

PARTNERSHIPS / PURPOSE EXPLORER

What should your business gain from an AI partnership?

Examine what companies combine or exchange, the dependencies they create and the choices each arrangement needs to settle.

← Partnerships overview

NINE POSSIBLE PURPOSES

What does your business need from a partner?

Choose a purpose, then examine a named example. One agreement can serve several purposes.[1]

How to read this framework

The nine purposes compare what partners contribute and obtain. One arrangement can serve several purposes. Select a purpose to explore its explanation and examples; the industry map remains unchanged.

TEST THE FRAMEWORK AGAINST AN INDUSTRY

How does the argument hold up in your industry?

Use observed arrangements to establish who performs the work, then assess what those arrangements mean for competition.

COMING SOON

Financial services

The industry observatory is in development.

COMING SOON

Care delivery

The industry observatory is in development.

APPLY TO YOUR BUSINESS

Build a partnership strategy around your competitive position.

Bring your proposed arrangement, the capabilities your firm contributes and the alternatives you can pursue.

Discuss a strategic assessment →

Sources and notes

  1. Case evidence. Partnerships Observatory, held cross-industry partnership examples and their source passages, cutoff 7 October 2026. The nine-purpose framework compares partner contributions. Each selected example carries its own numbered source note, dates, operating status and rights.

  2. Theory. Michael G. Jacobides and Sidney G. Winter, "Capabilities, Transaction Costs, and Evolution: Understanding the Institutional Structure of Production" (July 2003 working paper), opening argument on relative capabilities and firm boundaries. Capability sourcing and the division of work are separate from a demonstrated competitive advantage. The firm-specific interpretation here is the Observatory's.