This investigation studies the impact cooperating with external partners (customers, suppliers, competitors and HEIs) has on product innovation, measured as the number of product innovations and their commercial success. The sample includes Eastern European firms inclusive of all sizes, industries and split country groupings. The estimated findings of which are compared to the predicted hypotheses that are formulated from existing empirical results and regulated theories, including: cooperation values having a positive significant effect, with HEIs and vertical collaboration having some of the biggest impacts when compared to horizontal cooperation. This is all made possible through these product innovation measures estimated within the results, suggesting cooperation increases innovation and in some cases yields commercial success, although, intriguing results that significantly differ from theoretical literature is estimated with possible reasoning as to why. Overall, this research is one of the first in its kind to be conducted on the Eastern European countries, and offers managerial and policy implications.
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