Innovation management of German wineries: from activity to capacity—an explorative multi-case survey

Innovation is declared as key to success in increasing competition. This study explores the innovation activities of German wineries. A multi-case survey of 25 wineries shows rich innovation portfolios with diverse activities. The innovation activities of the wineries indicate diminishing product centricity in the industry, since innovation is pursued not only for products but for services, in investment and finance, in processes, and in marketing and sales. Wineries are characterized by intensive innovation and change activities. Intensive change might be rooted in bandwaggoning effects, being pushed by trends and fads. Entrepreneurs in the wine business are urged to adapt to changes in customer behavior and to react to trends that they perceive to be important, resulting in diverse innovation ideas and change activities The self-reliance seem to push entrepreneurs and smaller companies in the wine industry to increase their innovation portfolio in without regard for capacity or resource scarcity considerations or adequate strategic profiling.