Open Innovation: a driving force for reinventing the food sector

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Open Innovation is emerging as a key strategy in the agri-food sector to meet the challenges of sustainability, digital transformation and new consumer expectations. But what does its adoption reveal about this sector? Case studies and key figures shed light on this transformation.

What: Open Innovation, a fast-growing strategic tool

While 83% of companies consider Open Innovation to be essential to achieving their sustainability objectives, its adoption in the agri-food sector remains uneven. For example, 88% of multinationals have teams dedicated to open innovation, compared with just 46% of medium-sized companies and 28% of SMEs. Major groups such as Ferrero illustrate its potential: by collaborating with 250 partners worldwide, they have developed sustainable packaging solutions and improved the nutrition of their products. However, the majority of SMEs, representing 66% of companies in the sector with annual sales of less than 100 million dollars, do not yet have the resources to commit fully to this approach.

How: a variety of partnerships to meet the needs of the sector

Open Innovation enables targeted collaboration to meet a variety of needs. For example, Kraft Heinz and NotCo have used artificial intelligence to develop meat, egg and dairy substitutes, accelerating time to market and capturing a growing segment of consumers. This collaboration is based on a strategic technological and commercial alliance. On another front, Carrefour has forged a partnership with Jow, a start-up offering personalised meal kits delivered in 30 minutes, responding to growing expectations in terms of convenience and customer experience. Meanwhile, Heineken and Siemens have joined forces to create a digital twin, significantly reducing the energy consumption of their breweries as part of their ‘Net Zero’ roadmap. These examples show how Open Innovation can simultaneously meet economic, environmental and strategic needs.

Why: an essential response to the challenges of sustainability and competitiveness

The adoption of Open Innovation is driven by the need to meet complex challenges. Some 72% of companies in the sector say they have set up collaborative initiatives, although only 56% work regularly with start-ups. Moreover, 71% of companies plan to increase their investment in this area over the next two years. Nestlé, for example, is working with Danimer Scientific to develop biodegradable plastics, a commitment aimed at reducing plastic waste. Open Innovation initiatives can also halve the time to market, a key competitive advantage. This dynamism shows that Open Innovation is now a strategic priority, capable of offering concrete solutions to the environmental, social and economic challenges facing the agri-food sector.

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