A partner selection model for collaborative product innovation from the viewpoint of knowledge collaboration

Purpose Selecting suitable and competent partners is an important prerequisite to improve the performance of collaborative product innovation (CPI). The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated multi-criteria approach and a decision optimization model of partner selection for CPI from the perspective of knowledge collaboration. Design/methodology/approach First, the criteria for partner selection are presented, considering comprehensively the knowledge matching degree of the candidates, the knowledge collaborative performance among the candidates, and the overall expected revenue of the CPI alliance. Then, a quantitative method based on the vector space model and the synergetic matrix method is proposed to obtain a comprehensive performance of candidates. Furthermore, a multi-objective optimization model is developed to select desirable partners. Considering the model is a NP-hard problem, a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II is developed to solve the multi-objective optimization model of partner selection. Findings A real case is analyzed to verify the feasibility and validity of the proposed model. The findings show that the proposed model can efficiently select excellent partners with the desired comprehensive attributes for the formation of a CPI alliance. Originality/value Theoretically, a novel method and approach to partner selection for CPI alliances from a knowledge collaboration perspective is proposed in this study. In practice, this paper also provides companies with a decision support and reference for partner selection in CPI alliances establishment.