Open Innovation: a strategic lever for the agri-food industry

Open innovation is transforming the agri-food sector. By promoting collaboration and agility, it is responding to the industry’s major challenges, while opening the way to new strategic opportunities

Accelerating innovation and time to market

In a context of rapid change, open innovation offers tangible results for agri-food businesses. Fabio Mora, Vice President of Open Innovation at Ferrero, points out that this approach can halve the time it takes to bring new products to market, speeding up the response to market needs. What’s more, 49% of the companies surveyed said that their open innovation initiatives had enabled them to achieve significant financial gains, notably through cost savings and revenue growth.

Greater access to external expertise

One of the great advantages of open innovation is access to external resources and technologies that are not always available in-house. According to Olaf Koch, CEO of Zintinus, open innovation programmes ‘allow you to meet people and benefit from expertise that would otherwise never be accessible’. This approach is also proving beneficial in strengthening the adaptability of organisations: 58% of respondents say that open innovation contributes to expanding their market and improving their competitiveness.

Open innovation also enhances brand reputation and customer engagement, cited by 32% of respondents as major benefits. At the same time, it facilitates the integration of sustainable and innovative solutions into value chains. Although identified as essential by 36% of companies, identifying the right start-up partners remains a priority for maximising the impact of collaborations. This strategic approach ensures a smooth transition to a more resilient ecosystem aligned with the growing demands of consumers and markets.

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