Models of adoption of open innovation within the food industry

Innovation in the food industry is increasingly based on the decisions and activities of the company itself but also, and in particular, of the other entities involved in the innovation system. Similar considerations hold for open innovation mechanisms: due to the wide number of players involved in the development of innovative products, innovation activities must be carefully coordinated. As such, the sector should exhibit a significant number of open innovation strategies, whose purpose may range from merely access to external sources of knowledge, to actively taking part in the creation of inter-organizational knowledge and skills. Although there is still limited empirical evidence regarding open innovation strategies in the food industry, some studies are available highlighting how different firms succeeded in overcoming some of the barriers to innovation. In this paper, we review the extant literature on open innovation practices in the food context, and specifically we analyse three main models recently proposed. Finally, we draw implications for food companies and highlight some future trends for the open innovation adoption.

► The aim is to highlight the peculiarities of open innovation in the food industry. ► Three main models of open innovation are proposed as best practices for adoption. ► The importance of collaboration with actors of the food supply chain is stressed. ► Future trends are proposed, mainly referred to the adoption of ICTs instruments.