We analyse the impact of r&d cooperation on firm performance differentiating between four types of r&d partners (competitors, suppliers, customers, and universities and research institutes), and considering two performance measures: labour productivity and productivity in innovative (new to the market) sales. Using data on a large sample of dutch innovating firms in two waves of the community innovation survey (1996, 1998), we examine the impact of r&d cooperation in 1996 on subsequent productivity growth in 1996–1998. The results confirm a major heterogeneity in the rationales and goals of r&d cooperation. Competitor and supplier cooperation focus on incremental innovations, improving the productivity performance of firms. ...