The open innovation revolution in food by Mila Valcárcel, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Eatable Adventures
I have spent years at the forefront of food innovation, witnessing firsthand how the industry is undergoing a seismic shift. With consumers demanding healthier, sustainable, and tech-enhanced products, traditional closed innovation models are simply no longer sufficient. Open innovation, a principle advocated by Henry Chesbrough in the 1990s, has reshaped industries by fostering collaboration among corporations, startups, and research institutions. While the food sector has historically lagged in adopting this model, the need for transformation is now undeniable. Open innovation is not just about staying relevant—it’s about securing a competitive future.
How open innovation quietly disrupted the entire food industry
Born in the tech sector, open innovation revolutionized industries by breaking down R&D silos and encouraging external collaborations. Over time, food companies have recognized its value in tackling critical challenges like food security, sustainability, and evolving consumer preferences.
At Eatable Adventures, the company I co-founded, we are spearheading this movement by connecting corporations with disruptive food tech solutions. By fostering corporate-startup collaborations, venture initiatives, and ecosystem integration, we have helped leading agrifood companies leverage emerging technologies such as molecular farming, bioengineered fats, AI-powered ingredient optimization or smart biopreservation techniques.
Through these initiatives, I have seen open innovation offer food companies a fast track to competitive advantage. The key benefits include:
- Accelerated product development: Collaborations with startups and research institutions reduce the time needed to bring new food innovations to market.
- Scalability through multi-stakeholder models: Partnerships involving corporations, universities, startups, and investors ensure innovations can scale efficiently.
- Cost efficiency: Shared R&D efforts lower financial risks and increase resource optimization.
- Sustainability and circular economy: Open innovation empowers companies to convert sustainability into a profitable business model by integrating circular economy principles.
- From exploration to execution: Unlike traditional R&D, open innovation ensures that ideas move swiftly from concept to commercialization.
Overcoming barriers to Open Innovation
Despite its advantages, open innovation presents challenges, which we at Eatable Adventures mitigate through a proven proprietary methodology, a world-class team, and a globally recognized track record.
- Intellectual property and competitive concerns: Many corporations fear losing their edge when sharing ideas. At Eatable Adventures, we implement structured agreements to safeguard intellectual property.
- Regulatory complexities: Compliance is a major hurdle. By working with regulatory bodies and food scientists, we ensure that innovation meets all legal requirements.
- Cultural resistance to change: Many corporations struggle with internal buy-in. Our methodology includes strategic change management to align stakeholders.
- Moving beyond experimentation: The transition from ideation to commercial success is crucial. Our track record in delivering market-ready solutions makes us a trusted partner in this shift.
The Future: Scaling Open Innovation with multi-actor collaboration
The next phase of open innovation in food will be driven by deeper, more structured collaborations across the ecosystem. We are at the forefront of this shift, redefining food innovation through new collaborative models:
- Corporate venture ecosystems: Assisting corporations in building their own innovation ecosystems, integrating startups, universities, and investors.
- Multi-stakeholder innovation programs: Moving beyond bilateral partnerships to include governments, research hubs, and industry players to scale innovation.
- Results-driven innovation models: Ensuring that collaborations focus on measurable business impact and commercial viability.
Eatable Adventures: The catalyst for results-driven innovation
At Eatable Adventures, we don’t just conceptualize innovation—we bring it to life. Our approach is built on execution, impact, and measurable results. This commitment to execution is reflected in our key pillars, which drive meaningful and scalable innovation:
- Strategic frameworks: Ensuring innovation programs yield tangible outcomes.
- Global network access: Connecting corporations with a curated ecosystem of agrifood tech startups, investors, and research institutions.
- Proven track record: Facilitating high-impact corporate-startup partnerships that result in commercial success.
- Scalability: Designing innovation programs that extend beyond pilot projects and become integral to corporate strategy.
The food industry is at a crossroads. Companies that embrace open innovation will lead the future, while those that resist risk obsolescence. Moving beyond exploratory models toward results-driven innovation is key to sustaining long-term growth. At Eatable Adventures, we are at the forefront of this transformation, providing the expertise, network, and strategic framework to turn innovation into competitive advantage.
By leveraging open innovation, food corporations can unlock new revenue streams, scale groundbreaking solutions, and ensure they remain at the cutting edge of the industry’s evolution. The time to act is now.
