Innovation Strategies in the Food Industry: Tools for Implementation [2 ed.] 0323852033, 9780323852036

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INNOVATION STRATEGIES IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

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INNOVATION STRATEGIES IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY Tools for Implementation SECOND EDITION Edited by

CHARIS M. GALANAKIS Galanakis Laboratories, Chania, Greece Food Waste Recovery Group, Vienna, Austria

Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier 125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AS, United Kingdom 525 B Street, Suite 1650, San Diego, CA 92101, United States 50 Hampshire Street, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, United Kingdom Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions. This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein). Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978-0-323-85203-6 For information on all Academic Press publications visit our website at https://www.elsevier.com/books-and-journals

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Contents

Contributors Preface

4. Factors affecting the growth of academic oriented spin-offs

ix xi

BARBARA BIGLIARDI AND SERENA FILIPPELLI

A

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6

Introduction Methodology Review results Factors of growth Academic spin-offs in the food industry Conclusions, limitations, and future research directions References

Innovation strategies and long term R&D for the food industry 1. Food innovation dynamics and network support GERHARD SCHIEFER AND JIVKA DEITERS

1.1 Introduction: Sector challenges and innovation 1.2 The network environment for innovation support 1.3 Drivers and enablers 1.4 Emerging innovations 1.5 Conclusion Appendix References

3 4 8 11 13 14 14

P. MORONE AND L. COTTONI

5.1 Introduction 5.2 The growing pressure on the agro-food system 5.3 Transition theory as a conceptual framework for sustainability 5.4 Turning challenges into opportunities: From waste to wealth 5.5 Conclusions References

BARBARA BIGLIARDI AND SERENA FILIPPELLI

73 73 77 80 82 82

B

17 20 24 26 32 34

Development of innovations in the food industry 6. Innovation in traditional food products: Does it make sense?

3. Food SMEs’ open innovation: Opportunities and challenges

 L. GUERRERO, A. CLARET, W. VERBEKE, C. SULMONT-ROSSE, AND M. HERSLETH

I. SAM SAGUY

3.1 Introduction 3.2 SMEs and large companies 3.3 Novelty status of OI in the food industry 3.4 Radical openness and disruptive innovation 3.5 SMEs’ OI implementation barriers and challenges 3.6 Management and employee roles 3.7 Ecosystems and brokerage houses 3.8 Roles for academia 3.9 Revised IPR model 3.10 Future challenges, conclusions, and recommendations References

68 69

5. Transition to a sustainable agro-food system

2. Open innovation and incorporation between academia and the food industry 2.1 Introduction 2.2 OI in the food industry 2.3 Models of OI implementation 2.4 The interaction of academia-industry 2.5 Agenda for future research References

53 55 56 64 67

6.1 Introduction 6.2 What do traditional and innovation mean for the European consumers? 6.3 Innovations in traditional foods References

39 41 42 43 43 46 46 47 48 48 50

87 88 89 94

7. Consumer-driven- and consumer-perceptible food innovation ATTILA GERE, ARIOLA HARIZI, NICK BELLISSIMO, ´ N KO ´ KAI HOWARD MOSKOWITZ, AND ZOLTA

7.1 Introduction

v

97

vi 7.2 Psychophysical thinking: A major foundation for consumer-driven innovation 7.3 Applying psychophysical thinking in the early days: Studies of taste mixtures 7.4 Beyond simple psychophysics to mixture psychophysics: The jump toward innovation 7.5 Innovation through experimental design, multiple product testing, and sensory segmentation: Pickles, sauces, and orange juice 7.6 Innovation by discovering and exploiting sensory preference segments 7.7 Innovation by modeling, reverse engineering, and discovering holes in a product category 7.8 Innovation by experimental design coupled with sensory preference segmentation 7.9 Innovation using experimental design of ideas to create new products 7.10 Innovation using mind-set segmentation; targeted 1:1 design and 1:1 messaging 7.11 Innovation by changing the development paradigm: Empathy and experiment 7.12 Merging Mind Genomics and sensory product evaluation 7.13 Materials and methods 7.14 Discussion: Whither innovation in a slowly moving category? Acknowledgments References

Contents

99 100 100 101 101

109

11. Innovative bio-based materials for packaging sustainability

111

KYRIAKI G. ZINOVIADOU, PASCHALIS KASTANAS, MARIA GOUGOULI, AND COSTAS G. BILIADERIS

113 117 119 119 119

F.J. BARBA, V. ORLIEN, M.J. MOTA, R.P. LOPES, S.A. PEREIRA, AND J.A. SARAIVA

121 124 130 138 138

9. Sustainable strategies in the development of functional foods E. BETORET, C. BARRERA, L. SEGUI´, AND N. BETORET

9.1 Introduction 9.2 Formulation and blending 9.3 Cultivation and breeding 9.4 Protective bioactive technologies 9.5 Nutrigenomics 9.6 Conclusions References Further reading

145 146 146 147 152 152 153 156

10. The openness and cooperation in the food sector FIRLEJ KRZYSZTOF

10.1 The openness to foreign markets 10.2 The openness to the specialization of production in the food industry in Poland

158 159

166 167 168

Cutting edge innovation areas in the food science

106 108

161 164

C

103

8. Implementation of emerging technologies 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Commercialization, safety data, and energy 8.3 Implementation of emerging technologies in the food industry Acknowledgments References

10.3 The inclinations regarding the use of new trends in production methods and the implementation of innovative products 10.4 The initiatives to improve the quality of food products 10.5 The cooperation of companies versus the regional concentration of the sector 10.6 The stimulating factors and possibilities to respond to fluctuations References

11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7

Introduction 173 Novel bio-based plastics 174 Edible films and coatings 176 Nanocomposites for bio-based packaging 178 Biopolymer-based antimicrobial packaging 182 Regulations and safety concerns 184 EU legislation for plastic waste management and plastic pollution reduction 186 11.8 Market trends and predictions 188 11.9 Conclusions 188 References 188

12. Development of functional foods ˜ O, AMADEO GIRONES-VILAPANA,   DEBORA VILLAN CRISTINA GARCI´A-VIGUERA, AND DIEGO A. MORENO

12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4

Introduction 193 Legal framework for functional foods 194 Scientific substantiation of claims 198 Food industry—Factors that influence production of and innovation in functional foods 200 12.5 Opportunities in functional food innovation 201 12.6 Conclusions 206 Acknowledgments 206 References 206

13. Food use for social innovation by optimizing food waste recovery strategies CHARIS M. GALANAKIS, J. CVEJIC, V. VERARDO, AND A. SEGURA-CARRETERO

13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4

Introduction Food waste recovery for sustainable food systems Universal recovery strategy Implementation of the strategy for the development of commercially viable products 13.5 Management of intellectual property

209 210 211 213 219

vii

Contents

13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9

Problems Solutions Meeting markets’ and consumers’ needs Food use for social innovation in the post-COVID-19 era References

220 221 222 223 224

14. Adoption of ICT innovations in the agri-food sector: An analysis of French and Spanish industries ´ V. MARTINEZ-GOMEZ, J. DOMENECH, AND F. MAS-VERDU

14.1 Introduction 14.2 Theoretical framework 14.3 Method 14.4 Results 14.5 Conclusions Acknowledgments References

229 230 232 233 235 236 236

15. Implementation of foodomics in the food industry  EDIO  J.-L. SEB AND C. MALPUECH-BRUGE`RE

15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4

Introduction Foodomics technologies and techniques Applications of foodomics Challenges and potential strategies for the implementation of foodomics in industry 15.5 Conclusions References

239 239 242 246 248 249

16. Future skills requirements of the food sector emerging with industry 4.0 AITOR GOTI, TUGCE AKYAZI, ELISABETE ALBERDI, AITOR OYARBIDE, AND FELIX BAYON

16.1 Introduction 16.2 Materials and methods 16.3 Results and discussion 16.4 Conclusions References

253 256 257 284 284

17. Internet of things in food industry RAHUL KODAN, MAHMOUD SAID RASHED, MOHAMMAD KHALID PANDIT, PUNEET PARMAR, AND SHIVANI PATHANIA

17.1 Introduction 17.2 IoT enabling technologies 17.3 Food industry needs and IoT-based solutions 17.4 Future prospects 17.5 Conclusions References

287 289 291 297 299 300

D Conclusions and perspectives 18. Consumer acceptance of novel foods ARNOUT R.H. FISCHER AND MACHIEL J. REINDERS

18.1 Introduction 18.2 The emergence of consumer opinion 18.3 Major approaches on consumer acceptance of innovative products 18.4 Methodologies to record consumer opinions on novel foods 18.5 Conclusion and future outlook References

307 308 309 320 327 327

19. Challenges and opportunities CHARIS M. GALANAKIS

19.1 Introduction 19.2 Innovation strategies and long-term R&D for the food industry 19.3 Development of innovations in the food industry 19.4 Cutting-edge innovation areas in food science 19.5 Consumer acceptance, and chapter conclusions References

Index

335 336 337 338 341 342

345

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Contributors

Attila Gere Institute of Food Science and Technology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

Tugce Akyazi Department of Mechanics, Design and Organisation, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain Elisabete Alberdi Department of Applied Mathematics, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain

Amadeo Girones-Vilapana Spain

Aitor Goti Department of Mechanics, Design and Organisation, Deusto Digital Industry Chair, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain

F.J. Barba Universitat de València, Faculty of Pharmacy, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Science, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Department, Nutrition and Food Science Area, València, Spain

Maria Gougouli Director of Quality Management and R&D, Mevgal S.A., Koufalia-Thessaloniki, Greece

C. Barrera Institute of Food Engineering for Development, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain Felix Bayon

El Pozo Alimentación S.A., Murcia,

L. Guerrero IRTA, Food Research Center, Finca Camps i Armet, Monells, Spain

Sidenor Aceros Especiales, SLO, Bilbao, Spain

Nick Bellissimo School of Nutrition, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada

Ariola Harizi Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia

E. Betoret Food Science Department, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain

Paschalis Kastanas Region Sustainable Packaging Manager, Nestle Hellas, Athens, Greece

M. Hersleth

Rahul Kodan Institute of Management, Himachal Pradesh University Business School, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

N. Betoret Institute of Food Engineering for Development, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

Zolta´n Ko´kai Institute of Food Science and Technology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

Barbara Bigliardi Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Department of Economics, Science, and Law, University of San Marino, Dogana, San Marino

Firlej Krzysztof Poland

Costas G. Biliaderis Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece

C. Malpuech-Bruge`re INRAe, UMR 1019, UNH; Universite Clermont Auvergne, INRAe, UNH, Unite de Nutrition Humaine, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France V. Martinez-Gomez Valencia, Spain

Unitelma-Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome,

F. Mas-Verdu´ Spain

J. Cvejic University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia Jivka Deiters University of Bonn, International Center for Food Chain and Network Research, Bonn, Germany J. Domenech Spain

Universitat Politècnica de València,

Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia,

Diego A. Moreno Phytochemistry and Healthy Foods Lab, Food Science and Technology Department, CEBAS-CSIC, University of Murcia—Espinardo Campus, Murcia, Spain

Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia,

P. Morone Unitelma-Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy

Serena Filippelli Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

Howard Moskowitz MindCart AI, Inc., White Plains, NY, United States; Institute of Food Science and Technology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

Arnout R.H. Fischer Wageningen University—Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands Charis M. Galanakis

Cracow University of Economics, Kraków,

R.P. Lopes LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

A. Claret IRTA, Food Research Center, Finca Camps i Armet, Monells, Spain L. Cottoni Italy

Nofima AS, Ås, Norway

Galanakis Laboratories, Chania, Greece

Cristina Garcı´a-Viguera Phytochemistry and Healthy Foods Lab, Food Science and Technology Department, CEBAS-CSIC, University of Murcia—Espinardo Campus, Murcia, Spain

M.J. Mota LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal V. Orlien University of Copenhagen, Department of Food Science, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

ix

x

Contributors

Aitor Oyarbide Department of Mechanics, Design and Organisation, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain

J.A. Saraiva LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

Mohammad Khalid Pandit AI and ML Group, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Gerhard Schiefer University of Bonn, International Center for Food Chain and Network Research, Bonn, Germany

Puneet Parmar Livestock Systems Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Co. Cork, Ireland

J.-L. Sebedio INRAe, UMR 1019, UNH; Universite Clermont Auvergne, INRAe, UNH, Unite de Nutrition Humaine, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France

Shivani Pathania Institute of Management, Himachal Pradesh University Business School, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

L. Seguı´ Institute of Food Engineering for Development, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

S.A. Pereira LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

A. Segura-Carretero

Mahmoud Said Rashed School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin; Food Industry Development Department, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland Machiel J. Reinders Wageningen Economic Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands I. Sam Saguy The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

University of Granada, Granada, Spain

C. Sulmont-Rosse INRA, UMR1324, CNRS, UMR6265, University of Burgundy, Centre for Taste and Feeding Behavior (CSGA), Dijon, France V. Verardo W. Verbeke

University of Almería, Almería, Spain Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

Debora Villan˜o Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), San Antonio, Murcia, Spain Kyriaki G. Zinoviadou Department of Food Science and Technology, Perrotis College, American Farm School, Thessaloniki, Greece

Preface

Nowadays, the food sector is faced with the urgent need for innovations and consumer demands for safe, tailor-made, and qualitative foods. In this prospect, food science and technology should not only provide pure knowledge for the food industry, but also support young scientists and professionals to develop technical skills that will allow them come out in a competitive and fast changing workplace. Subsequently, the lifelong pursuit of knowledge is a one-way path to the future of food industry professionals. Food Waste Recovery Group aspires to be the world’s most admired open innovation network that provides tools and literature modules, thus helping in developing innovations that span the food and the environment fields. The group serves as a consulting agency for industries and organizations, while it has initiated training modules based on webinars, e-lectures, workshops, and joint publications. These efforts include more than 45 books dealing with different aspects of food and environmental science and technology fields such as the valorization of grape, meat, coffee, cereals, and olive by-products, saving food efforts and sustainable food systems, innovations in traditional foods, biobased industries, nonthermal processing, and innovation strategies in the food and environmental science. The group has also edited books dealing with personalized nutrition, nonalcoholic drinks, innovative food analysis, food authentication, and food forensics, food quality and shelf life, aromatic herbs in foods, and customized handbook for target bioactive components such as polyphenols, proteins and peptides, carotenoids, glucosinolates, lipids, and dietary fiber. Although only 5 years have passed since the launch of the first edition of Innovation Strategies in the Food Industry vast information has been generated in the field. Thus, the second edition of the book provides updated information in the field with four parts and 21 chapters. Part A (Innovation Strategies and Long-Term R&D for the Food Industry) includes five chapters. Chapter 1 is revised from the first version, which provides a thorough discussion on the current challenges facing the food industry in the light of emerging technologies and network experiences, and provides examples of ongoing inventions that have the potential for reaching innovation status. The revised Chapter 2 provides an overview on “open innovation” as implemented in the food industry.

Specifically, based on a range of important case studies, first a comprehensive overview of the adoption of the open innovation paradigm in the food industry is provided. Then, the role of academia in such a context is investigated. The main results reveal the main challenges and paradigm shifts of the food industry and identify implications for the future of open innovation in the sector. The revised Chapter 3 discusses OI’s present utilization, implementation, and opportunities for SMEs and start-ups in the food sector. The new normal and disruption in the marketplace highlight SME needs for a new paradigm shift and mindset to embrace OI, novel strategies, business models, management roles, enhanced collaboration to cocreating a very prosperous future. The new Chapter 4 examines thoroughly the growth phase of an academic spinoff’s life cycle, focusing in particular on the drivers that influence its growth. Moreover, a focus on the theoretical spinoff phenomenon in the food sector is provided. The methodology adopted is that of literature review, combining two approaches: the bibliometric analysis and the keyword analysis. In Chapter 5 (Chapter 4 in the first edition), the key drivers to a sustainability transition in the agro-food system are denoted. First, the areas of pressure on the food system stemming mostly from the megatrends occurring at the outset were identified, i.e., the demographic growth trend accompanied by the foreseen income and wealth increase expected over the next 35 years. These trends call for a paradigm shift from the current unsustainable production and consumption model toward a new model where climate change, food security, and waste management are conceived unitarily, and are simultaneously confronted. Part B (Innovation Strategies and Long-Term R&D for the Food Industry) includes five chapters. Chapter 6 (Chapter 5 in the first edition) discusses the acceptance of different innovations in traditional food products, focusing on the definition of the “traditional” and “innovation” concepts from the consumer’s perspective. Qualitative and quantitative approaches are combined to better understand and predict the possibilities of success when applying different generic and specific innovations in traditional food products. The updated Chapter 7 (Chapter 6 in the first edition) introduces the history of consumer-driven innovation

xi

xii

Preface

technologies and ends with real-world case studies demonstrating the vast information obtained from consumer minds using proper tools. To meet consumers’ needs, an obvious tool would be to ask them, however, in many cases, traditional questionnaire-based methods fail to answer the questions in hand. In Chapter 8 (Chapter 7 in the first edition) some of the most well-studied (e.g., high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, ohmic heating, microwave, and ultrasound) emerging technologies are reviewed. Most of these technologies have found niche applications in the food industry, replacing or complementing conventional preservation technologies. The updated Chapter 9 (Chapter 8 in the first edition) contains detailed information about some measures taken by the food industry to ensure the supply of essential nutrients to as many individuals as possible assuring global sustainability. More specifically, the contributions of some techniques employed in the development of functional foods, such as formulation and blending, cultivation and breeding, microencapsulation, application of edible films and coatings, vacuum impregnation, and nutrigenomics, to increase the sustainability of the feeding process, are discussed. Chapter 10 is a new chapter in the book discussing the openness and cooperation in the food sector. Food industry enterprises are continually trying to look for their export opportunities, gain new trade allies, create different concepts of effective foreign investments, and strengthen their human capital. The openness of food companies, the ability to adapt to demanding operating conditions, and a constant willingness to develop cooperation are the conditions necessary for their survival and current existence. Part C (Cutting-Edge innovation areas in the Food Science) includes seven chapters. Chapter 11 (Chapter 9 in the first edition) provides an overview on the recent scientific advances and applications in the field of biopolymerbased packaging. Chapter 12 (Chapter 10 in the first edition) discusses the development of functional foods that can bring specific components with healthy benefits beyond those of basic nutrition. The building of consortia between research institutes, academia, and the food industry aims to address these points and serves as a unique opportunity for food innovation. The updated Chapter 13 (Chapter 11 in the first edition) discusses the current trends for the optimization of food waste recovery strategies in the food industry and how this process affects the sustainability of the food systems. The socalled “Universal Recovery Strategy” for the commercial recapture of valuable compounds from food wastes is briefly described, prior to the assessment of commercially available products and the implementation of this

strategy. In the agri-food industry, some studies have shown, innovation intensity has been low, as has been the ICT adoption rate. Chapter 14 (Chapter 12 in the first edition) discusses the adoption of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in the agri-food sector. Chapter 15 (Chapter 13 in the first edition) deals with the implementation of foodomics in the food industry. Chapter 16 is a new chapter in the book and focuses on identifying the future skills demanded by the food industry. It presents a sectorial database generated for the food sector profiles incorporating their current and near-future skill needs, as well as an industry-driven and proactive strategy for implementing them. This database could be a fundamental framework to guide the food industry through the midterm industrial transformations and can serve for companies and academics. Chapter 17 is also a new chapter and deals with the internet of things (IoT) in the food sector. Part D (Conclusions and Perspectives) includes two chapters. The updated Chapter 18 (Chapter 14 in the first edition) reflects several current theories and practices and for what aims these might be best suited. The chapter ends by outlining some trends in consumer food science that may become more relevant in the next few years. Finally, the revised Chapter 19 (Chapter 15 in the first edition) addresses the challenges and opportunities facing food industries during application of innovations. Conclusively, the book addresses food scientists, technologists, engineers, and chemists working in the entire field of food science as well as researchers and new product developers. University libraries and institutes can use it worldwide as a textbook and ancillary reading in undergraduates and postgraduate level multidiscipline courses dealing with food science, technology, and nutrition, as well as food engineering. I acknowledge all authors for their collaboration and their dedication to the timeline and editorial guidelines. I also thank the acquisition editor Patricia Osborn and the book manager Lena Sparks for their assistance during the preparation of this book. At this point I would like to remind the readers that book projects contain hundreds of thousands of words, and thus may contain gaps or minor errors. Constructive comments and even criticism are always welcome. In that case, please contact me to discuss any issues. Charis M. Galanakis Research & Innovation Department, Galanakis Laboratories, Chania, Greece Food Waste Recovery Group, ISEKI Food Association, Vienna, Austria

P A R T

A

Innovation strategies and long term R&D for the food industry

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C H A P T E R

1 Food innovation dynamics and network support Gerhard Schiefer and Jivka Deiters University of Bonn, International Center for Food Chain and Network Research, Bonn, Germany

1.1 Introduction: Sector challenges and innovation The food sector as a whole is faced with significant challenges that arise from changes in the sector’s economic and noneconomic environments, changes in lifestyles, global increases in food consumption, a diminishing production base (e.g., due to the loss of arable land or its divergence for nonfood production alternatives (Dockrill, 2015)), and (v) ultimately, changing attitudes of society toward the consequences of the food system’s activities for environmental, social, and economic issues captured in the term of “sustainability” ( Jules, 2008).

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

For coping with the challenges, innovation has been discussed as an opportunity and as a precondition for success. Innovation support and especially support toward small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been identified as a core requirement for assuring the food sector’s sustainability and competitiveness. For instance, the mission formulated by the European Commission for its innovation strategy developed already in 2010 was described as “….At a time of public budget constraints, major demographic changes and increasing global competition, Europe’s competitiveness, our capacity to create millions of new jobs to replace those lost in the crisis, and, overall, our future standard of living depends on our ability to drive innovation in products, services, business, and social processes and models. This is why innovation has been placed at the heart of the Europe 2020 strategy. Innovation is also our best means of successfully tackling major societal challenges, such as climate change, energy and resource scarcity, health, and aging, which are becoming more urgent by the day.” (EU, 2010, p. 2). This statement makes it clear that the need for innovation covers a broad spectrum of developments, not just in products and processes but also in services, organization, and management. The term innovation has developed into a buzz word that is used whenever discussions focus on future developments. However, despite its frequent reference, the term innovation is not easy to specify and identify. Discoveries or inventions without any uptake by industry and impact on the competitive advantage and the sector’s sustainability cannot be classified as innovation. In his overview publication on Networks of Innovation, Tuomi (2002) goes even as far as stating, “…if new knowledge has no impact on anyone’s way of doing things—in other words, if it doesn’t make any difference—it is not knowledge. Only when the way things are done change, an innovation emerges…” (Tuomi, 2002, p. 10). Consequently, innovation involves both, discoveries or inventions and their successful implementation in industry. While there are many discoveries or inventions, only a few develop into innovations. The world is full of forgotten discoveries that might have changed the world’s development path (see the discussions in Inventions, 2020). It is sometimes just by chance or by individuals’ or groups’ engagement if discoveries are being picked up and transformed into innovations. Looking back, one might realize that a development decision in the past was not the optimal one, and the realization of a competing discovery might have been better. However, due to the selected option’s investment activities upon its developments over time, a reverse of actions might no longer be feasible without significant losses in return. This situation is referred to as “path dependency” and has been discussed broadly in the literature (Page, 2006).

Innovation Strategies in the Food Industry https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85203-6.00009-8

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Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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1. Food innovation dynamics and network support

This is why a regular scanning of business and sector activities regarding emerging inventions (sometimes referred to as “environmental scanning,” Morrison, 1992) is of significant relevance for assuring that appropriate inventions are not overlooked and that innovation support is focusing toward a “best” development direction. Environmental scanning is described as an activity dealing with a “… process that systematically surveys and interprets relevant data to identify external opportunities and threats that could influence future decisions…” (Businessdirectory, 2020). Environmental scanning is supported by networks where enterprises communicate with each other, with experts, or with customers and consumers. This has been acknowledged by policy and business services that support networking, especially among SMEs, through network initiatives and meeting platforms of various kinds, such as the European Enterprise Network (EEN; http://een.ec.europa.eu/, 2020). The EEN had been set up with the explicit mission of helping SMEs to innovate. Many of the food sector’s challenges, such as the delivery of sufficient food, are not challenges as such. They become challenges because of responsibilities placed by society on the food sector. Food is a basic human need that cannot be left to decisions by industry alone. This is where policy responsibility comes in and the justification for policy engagement in facilitating initiatives toward improvements in innovation support. Specifically, they include the support of networks that could boost the emergence of innovations in SMEs within the food sector. However, while networks may provide an environment that could support initiatives (and especially initiatives by SMEs) toward devising and realizing inventions, the actual drivers for engaging in such endeavors are linked to the pressures and challenges the sector and its actors are facing. In combination with an appropriate environment, the drivers may lead to inventions that could, in principle, support the industry in coping with the challenges. However, the further development of inventions toward usability in routine operations to reach innovation status is based on enabling technologies or concepts. Inventions that could not build on suitable enabling technologies or ideas would remain in an invention status and could not contribute to the sector’s innovative development. The following chapters will discuss the suitability of network support, outline some priority drivers and enablers for innovations in the food sector, and discuss some examples where the combination of drivers and enablers has opened the way for emerging inventions with innovation potential.

1.2 The network environment for innovation support 1.2.1 Network focus As supported by studies and literature (Greve et al., 2015), networks have a crucial role in innovation support. This support could build on the creation of inventions or supporting their utilization and implementation. A comprehensive study on the innovation ability of networks, which involved 32 network cases from 9 European countries (Deiters and Schiefer, 2012), allows a first analysis of the relationship between the organizational and managerial concepts of networks and their sustainability and innovation support. It provides the basis for the following discussions. The study has provided a European Network Database dealing with food, bio-based activities, and ecosystem services (https://www.biobased-networks.eu, 2020). The selection of case studies is based on an initial specification of structural indicators and identifying networks that could assure a broad variation in network alternatives. The initial indicators include age, source of finance, spatial orientation (local/global), positioning in the value chain, the focus of innovation, network driver, and scope (see Table 1.1). The table provides an impression of the network variety included in the study. Most networks were already some years in existence. This is because networks’ evolution requires some time for reaching a network status with some organizational routines. However, a few newcomers allow insight into difficulties in the uptake process. Furthermore, many networks are quite mixed in their characteristics, e.g., they might have a vertical and horizontal focus or combine formal and informal elements. They are, with some exceptions, predominantly domestic in reach. This fits SME network support as networks need to build trust and personal interaction, at least in initial phases best served through networks with members within easy reach. It is striking that there are almost no networks that are solely based on private funding. The majority is either based on public-private partnerships or on public financing only. The networks could be categorized according to their focus activities and their relationship with innovation generation as networks (a) creating an atmosphere for innovation through socialization activities, (b) developing an innovation ability through training activities that support learning,

A. Innovation strategies and long term R&D for the food industry

TABLE 1.1

Age

Finance

Summary of network characteristics (network IDs in Appendix).

Old (>2 years)

Denmark

Sweden

I

III

I

II

III

I

II

III

I

II

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

II

1

New (