Establishing Strategic Technology Partnerships in Robotics Navigating R&D Collaboration and Geopolitical Risk in High-Tech Innovation

Abstract

As high-tech firms increasingly engage in external collaboration to accelerate R&D, they must navigate complex trade-offs between openness, control, and geopolitical risk. This thesis investigates how a high-tech firm adapts its R&D strategy and partner selection processes under geopolitical complexity, with two guiding research questions: RQ1: How does the focal high-tech firm adapt its R&D strategy and external collaboration model, including partner selection, under geopolitical risk? RQ2: What challenges and strategic trade-offs does the firm face when selecting external collaborators under geopolitical risk? The study is based on a qualitative single-case study of a strategic collaboration project involving suppliers of advanced vision and processing technologies, with a focus on partnerships in China. The empirical foundation comprises nine semi-structured interviews with stakeholders across sourcing, R&D, and strategy functions, supported by internal documentation and informal interactions. Using an abductive approach and thematic analysis, the study captures how the firm’s collaboration model evolved from closed innovation toward selective openness. The findings reveal that partner selection is guided by a dynamic logic integrating technological competence, organizational alignment, and geopolitical foresight. However, the shift to external collaboration creates coordination complexity, capability gaps, and motivational challenges particularly in triadic collaboration settings. Geopolitical risk is not treated as a fixed constraint but as a structural input shaping design, governance, and substitution strategies. The thesis contributes to open innovation literature by highlighting how geopolitical considerations are operationalized in partner selection and collaboration models. It proposes three managerial levers for increasing resilience: a cross-functional partner selection framework, modular product architectures with substitution options, and improve internal collaboration readiness. These insights inform how high-tech firms can structure externally oriented R&D strategies that remain robust in geopolitical risk.