There are several ways of defining a strategic alliance. This excludes legal formations like joint ventures from the field of Strategic Alliances. Others see joint ventures as possible manifestations of Strategic Alliances. Therefor, Can be defined as follows:
A strategic alliance is an agreement between two or more players to share resources or knowledge, to be beneficial to all parties involved. It is a way to supplement internal assets, capabilities and activities, with access to needed resources or processes from outside players such as suppliers, customers, competitors, companies in different industries, brand owners, universities, institutes or divisions of government.
A strategic alliance can also be define as an organizational and legal construct wherein “partners” are willing-in fact, motivated-to act in concert and share core competencies.