Opinion : Co-opetition isn’t soft, it’s smart

New Zealand business has no room for isolationism.

Trump’s tariff pause might buy some time for negotiations, but the approach threatens to slow down global growth and will have flow-on effects for many New Zealand businesses - not just exporters. The impact on our biggest trading partner China could have massive ramifications for New Zealand.

The breakdown of global co-opetition isn’t positive whatever way you look at it. It’s no different in domestic business. Lately I’ve been pleased to facilitate introductions to “competing” businesses to explore ways they can work together in this challenging economic environment.

In one example, the collaboration between civil construction businesses, will result in significantly stronger bids on government procurement contracts. It was heartening to read that a group of local businesses from fashion and lifestyle have started a WhatsApp network to work out the best way to deal with the tariff situation together.

Last week, I had two very different meetings that reminded me how much mindset shapes opportunity, especially in a small market like Aotearoa New Zealand.

In the first, I met with the owner of a company working in a similar space to the Icehouse. While we serve different parts of the capability development ecosystem, we are, in effect, playing the same game, driving New Zealand business growth.

When I raised the idea of exploring ways to work together, he was quick to shut it down, saying there were no opportunities for collaboration because we "compete." It was a clear case of scarcity thinking - the belief that there’s only so much pie to go around, and any gain for one must be a loss for another.

In contrast, my second meeting couldn’t have been more different. I reached out to another founder with the same intent: to explore potential ways we could support each other, share insights, or even collaborate. His response? “Thank you.” That simple response reflected openness, curiosity, and the possibility that we could find a way to grow the pie, not just divide it.

In another example, a partnership signed last week between the Icehouse and the Family Business Association is set to further strengthen the thousands of family-owned businesses across New Zealand. While both organisations are dedicated to supporting business growth, each brings distinct expertise to the table - together we’re better positioned to deliver even greater value to business owners.

As a country, we need more of this collaborative mindset. We’re simply too small to compete in silos. The theory of co-opetition - competing and collaborating at the same time - has never been more relevant. With recent changes to government procurement rules more opportunities are opening up for New Zealand-based providers to access large contracts.

The question is: how can we co-opete to go after these as a combined force, rather than as fragmented players up against global incumbents?

If we start seeing each other less as rivals and more as allies with shared purpose, the opportunities to lift capability, grow our impact, and strengthen the SME sector become far greater. Co-opetition isn’t soft, it’s smart. And it’s what New Zealand needs right now.