Outsourcing is investigated from the standpoint of the acquisition by the public corporation of sustainable and unique competitive advantages by attracting unique intellectual carriers and using the social capital of specialized companies within the framework of institutional theory. Key researchers and events in the history of outsourcing are noted, existing approaches to the definition of the concept of “outsourcing”, advantages and risks of using the technology of outsourcing are considered. It is established that the differences in outsourcing, subcontracting, and cooperation are not in the nature of functional relationships, but in the depth of the economic terms and phenomena under consideration. The outsourcing methodology is considered as part of the cooperation methodology of entrepreneurial innovation structures of the emerging knowledge economy.