strategic partnerships raise questions concerning co-inventorship and other intellectual property ownership, technology transfer, exclusivity, competition, hiring away of employees, rights to business opportunities created in the course of the partnership, splitting of profits and expenses, duration and termination of the relationship, and many other business issues. another risk of strategic partnerships, especially between manufacturer and key supplier, is the potential forward integration by the key supplier. also different developments or development plans can lead to a broken strategic partnership. the relationships are often complex as a result, and can be subject to extensive negotiation. the university of tennessee has done significant research into strategic partnerships, especially in the area of strategic outsourcing relationships.