article thumbnail

Joint Ventures Reduce the Risk of Major Capital Investments

Harvard Business Review

Ageas contributes its expertise in insurance product design, marketing, finance, and risk management, while the partner, often a well-embedded local financial institution, contributes its customer portfolio, distribution channel, brand, and relationships. Another risk is the opportunity cost of not benefiting from lower investment costs.

article thumbnail

3D Printing Will Revive Conglomerates

Harvard Business Review

Hailed in the 1960s as bastions of sophisticated management, they used cheap financing to acquire, then rationalize, many family-owned firms. With GE’s recent announcement to split off its remaining finance operations , and Honeywell also considering divestment, the pressure on these groups remains in force.