Reinforce external linkages
Reinforce external linkages of the food industry to grasp new consumer trends.
The link with suppliers is of vital importance for the food company to introduce new, alternative or better quality raw materials. Furthermore, suppliers from non- food sectors are also important for innovation: examples are biotechnology, chemistry, and packaging. Collaboration within the chain is considered important for SMEs3 especially, as it will enable them to overcome disadvantages due to limited economies of scale and to compete with large players.
New consumer trends are considered important,
but clear solutions for
anticipating them are not always present. Demand for functional foods, for example, is perceived as the main opportunity by virtually all regions, but none of
the regions classifies it as
a current strength. Furthermore, a market opportunity for food safety is perceived, as this gives a head start for Europe in competition on the global market. However, doubts are raised on how
this can be valorised in the consumer market.
