Abstract
PurposeThis paper reviews the literature, foundational works and current trends related to the adoption of open innovation (OI) practices in the food industry, with a particular focus on the food value chain, using a bibliometric and content analysis approach.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on 84 published documents in the field of food OI obtained using the Scopus database. First, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using a bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis approach to understand the common themes and key clusters of food OI research. It further highlighted authors, countries, journals, years of publication and subject areas to comprehend the scope of the established literature. Second, a content analysis was undertaken to examine the titles and abstracts of the documents to explore the intersection of OI and the food value chain.FindingsThis study provides an integrated framework of the intersection of OI and the food value chain, including information about under-researched and emerging areas in the field of food innovation. It also highlights the critical challenges associated with OI food research and practices.Practical implicationsPractitioners can use the findings to uncover areas with limited open innovation adoption in the food value chain. They can identify extended research areas to explore the food value chain using an open innovation perspective, in different contexts within the food and beverage (F&B) industry. The framework can also be used for conducting comparative studies of current food innovation trends across different contexts within the F&B industry.Originality/valueBy adopting a multi-step approach involving a computer-assisted bibliometric examination complemented by a manual review undertaken through the lens of the food value chain, this literature review provides fresh and unique insights into past and present research on OI in the food industry and paves the way for future studies by laying out specific research avenues.
Highlights
The world’s population has increased from 3 billion to over 7.8 billion in the last 60 years
Based on an extensive bibliometric analysis and thematic review, this study offers an integrative framework showing the intersection of open innovation (OI) research along the food value chain (FVC), which provides researchers with insights into current gaps and directions of relevance and significance for future studies
The present study shows the influence and challenges of OI across the several stages of the FVC
Summary
The world’s population has increased from 3 billion to over 7.8 billion in the last 60 years. The OECD (2020) reports that over 800 million people have less food than they need, and even larger populations remain malnourished. Between 2010 and 2018, when healthcare enjoyed US$145 billion in technological investments, food systems received only US$14 billion (World Economic Forum, 2018). This low attraction of resources coupled with lower adoption and ability to harness the benefits of emerging technologies (e.g. big data, machine learning, the Internet of Things), calls for an overhaul that will facilitate the holistic management of our food systems. While technical and structural changes have benefited larger, well-resourced stakeholders in the food supply chain, the future of nearly 500 million smallholder farmers who produce about 80% of the world’s food remains uncertain. Economic and political instability is causing an occupation decline as young farmers search for better-paying and more attractive jobs (World Economic Forum, 2018)
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