This work analyzes the role of private equity firms (SCIs) in forming strategic alliances in the French private equity market. The subject is important because the formation of alliances and, more generally, the networking of SMEs, could be an alternative to the lack of medium-sized companies in France. For French SCIs, which are increasingly in a competitive situation, assistance in forming alliances for their holdings may represent a new activity and be a source of competitive advantage. The work is positioned transversally, touching the areas of corporate governance, entrepreneurial finance and strategy.

Kirsten Burkhardt is Doctor of Management Sciences and has held the position of Senior Lecturer at the University of Burgundy, France since 2015. At IAE Dijon, she is head of the International Master in Business Studies and co-head of International Relations. She is a member of the Centre de Recherche en Gestion des Organisations (CREGO) where she directs the transversal research axis "Entrepreneurship and SMEs." Her research and academic publications focus on entrepreneurial governance and the growth of SMEs.