An Open Innovation Framework for collaborative food product design & manufacturing

Abstract

One of the most debated topics in actual global literature is Open Innovation. However, there are still many questions that have not been answered respecting the modern industry. One of them is the link between the corporate Open Innovation practices and the industrial structure of mature industries. Specifically, the food industry is a mature industry where its profit margins are thin and its R&D failure rate for new products is very high. Both facts indicate that a decent return on development investments cannot be provided and that the food industry still cannot rely on its traditional way of thinking and innovating. In addition, this sector recently perceived its end-users to be wary of radically new products and changes in consumption patterns. Hence, the main aim of that industry is to design new food products that consumers will buy and at the same time ensure that these products will reach them in time and at adequate quantity. Through a proposed conceptual framework which integrates a collaborative and shared knowledge framework based on “Open Innovation approaches”, we propose to work with both customers´ data and selected partners to design new food products that offer an integrated sensory experience of food and packaging, encompassing customization, healthy eating, and sustainability.