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Cited by 137Digitalization and Economic Development in AgricultureSmart Agriculture and AIInnovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development

Digital innovation ecosystems in agri-food: design principles and organizational framework

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Wolfert, Sjaak, Verdouw, Cor, van Wassenaer, Lan, Dolfsma, Wilfred, Klerkx, Laurens·2023·Agricultural Systems
DOI 10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103558
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Abstract

Digital technologies nowadays play a major role in innovation within the agri-food domain. The evolution of IT systems has currently arrived at a level that involves complex systems integration and business ecosystems in which many stakeholders in different roles are involved. A new paradigm for digital innovation is needed that copes with this increased complexity. This paper presents an empirically informed framework for analysing and designing viable, sustainable digital innovation ecosystems in the agri-food domain. The research is based on a series of European large-scale public-private innovation projects from 2011 to 2021 with a total budget of 73 M€. They involved hundreds of stakeholders that were developing a large number of digital solutions through which a digital innovation ecosystem for agri-food was formed. In a longitudinal study, a conceptual framework was used to analyse these projects and describe how the digital innovation ecosystem has developed. Lessons learnt are translated into a number of design principles and an organizational approach to foster digital innovation ecosystems in agri-food. The conceptual framework consists of 6 key concepts: (i) innovation strategy, (ii) innovation organization, (iii) innovation network that contains (iv) the innovation process and (v) the innovation object and finally (vi) an innovation infrastructure. Along these 6 concepts, lessons learnt and in total 21 design principles are derived from analysing the projects forming a basis for the organizational framework. At the core of this framework is a lean multi-actor approach to trials and use case development interacting with a set of multidisciplinary activities: (i) developing a common technical collaboration infrastructure, (ii) identifying value streams with user engagement, (iii) engaging the right partners and stakeholders at the right time supported by strategic project planning and dynamic management. The most important conclusion is that effective, successful and quick use of appropriate IT in agri-food requires that actors should not be analysed in isolation from both their technological and business environment. Another consequence is that a ‘minimal viable ecosystem’ only emerges after considerable time, resources and ingenuity is invested and may require outside (government) intervention. Results from this paper can be used both by public and private stakeholders to diagnose and improve digital innovation projects and develop viable, sustainable digital innovation ecosystems in agri-food.

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  • Food design operates across all stages of food production from cultivation to consumption and disposal to overcome bottlenecks, spark innovation, and add value via a human-centered approach.

    “food design operates across all stages of the food production process—from cultivation to consumption and disposal—to overcome bottlenecks, spark innovation, and add value via a human-centered approach (Wolfert et al., 2023).”

    From Microalgae biotechnology and its role in sustainable and healthy food design (2025) · cites this paper as Wolfert et al., 2023

    Section 4.5 discusses digital innovation from farming through logistics to food consumption, and the IoF2020 passage describes end-user involvement in innovation. But the paper concerns digital innovation ecosystems, not food design generally; the cited passages do not extend the process to disposal or establish overcoming bottlenecks through a human-centered approach. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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5 of the 101 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 13

  1. Ballon, P., Lindmark, S.J., March, C.C., Hoelck, K., 2013. Applied Platform Market Theory in the FI-PPP Ecosystem, 6th CMI International Conference "Developing the Future ICT Infrastructure-Technologies, Markets, and Policies".
  2. Cantera, J.M., Issa, J.S., van der Vlugt, P., Klaeser, S., Bartram, T., Kassahun, A., Neira, I., Milin, T., 2018. D3.3 opportunities and barriers in the present regulatory situation for system development. In: IoF2020 (Ed.), IoF2020 Project Deliverables.
  3. EC, 2021. In: Commission, E (Ed.), Horizon Europe Work Programme 2021-2022, 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment.
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  6. Kruize, J.W., Wolfert, J., Goense, D., Scholten, H., Beulens, A.J.M., Veenstra, T., 2014. Integrating ICT Applications for Farm Business Collaboration Processes Using FIspace, Global Conference (SRII), 2014 Annual SRII. IEEE, San Jose, CA, USA, pp. 232-240.
  7. Simon, H.A., 1996. The Sciences of the Artificial, 3 ed. MIT Press, Massachusetts, USA.
  8. Van Grondelle, J., Verdouw, C., Wolfert, S., 2018. In: IoF2020 (Ed.), Progress Report on Synergie Analysis, Decisions and Coordination of Work. Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen.
  9. Verdouw, C.N., Beulens, A.J.M., Wolfert, J., 2014. Towards Software Mass Customization for Business Collaboration, Global Conference (SRII), 2014 Annual SRII. IEEE, pp. 106-115.
  10. Verdouw, C.N., Wolfert, S., Beers, G., Sundmaeker, H., Chatzikostas, G., 2017. IOF2020: Fostering business and software ecosystems for large-scale uptake of IoT in food and farming. In: Nelson, W. (Ed.), The International tri-Conference for Precision Agriculture in 2017, Hamilton, p.
  11. Wolfert, S., 2022. Interoperability and ecosystems. In: Dörr, J., Nachtmann, M. (Eds.), Handbook Digital Farming -Digital Transformation for Sustainable Agriculture. Springer, Kaiserslautern.
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  13. Yin, R.K., 2003. Case study research design and methods third edition. In: Applied social research methods series, p.

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Authors
Wolfert, S., Verdouw, C., van Wassenaer, L., Dolfsma, W., & Klerkx, L.
Affiliations
  • Wageningen University & Research (NL)
  • Universidad de Talca (CL)
ORCID
Venue
Agricultural Systems
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2023-01
Volume
204
Pages
103558
ISSN
0308-521X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103558
OpenAlex
W4308174942
Cited by
137
References
101
Citations by year
2026: 40 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 15
FWCI
18.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Agricultural Systems (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
European Commission (285326, 632861, HORIZON2020, 604123, 632874, 731884, 632857)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Digitalization and Economic Development in Agriculture
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Smart Agriculture and AI
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management of Technology and Innovation › Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development
Keywords
digital innovation ecosystems, agri-food, design principles, organizational framework, innovation strategy, innovation organization, innovation networks, innovation process, innovation infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, value stream, user engagement, multi-actor collaboration, state intervention, sustainable innovation

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