The Campanian Agri-Food Sector and Innovation

The Campanian Agri-Food Sector and Innovation

Innovation today represents one of the main competitiveness factors for agri-food companies. In a sector deeply rooted in tradition, yet increasingly required to respond to new market demands, sustainability, and digitalization, companies are more and more driven to innovate both processes and products.

Precisely to investigate this important aspect, Eng4Life conducted a quantitative CAWI survey in 2020 involving 133 agri-food companies from Campania (56% agricultural enterprises and 44% food industries), with the aim of analyzing the level of innovation within the regional sector, understanding the main factors that encourage innovative development, and identifying the obstacles that still slow down companies operating in the industry today.

THE QUANTITATIVE SURVEY

The research was developed through a CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) methodology. Data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to companies operating in the food and beverage industries located in the Campania Region.

More than 1,300 companies were contacted via certified email, and the survey recorded 133 valid responses, a result fully consistent with the response rates usually achieved with this methodology.

The questionnaire administered to Campanian companies was designed to analyze four fundamental dimensions selected for the study:

  • The spread of innovation;
  • Investments made by companies;
  • Obstacles to innovation processes;
  • The needs of Campanian companies.

DO CAMPANIAN COMPANIES REALLY INVEST IN INNOVATION?

The interviewed agri-food companies demonstrated a strong propensity for innovation. More than 75% of the interviewed companies (both agricultural enterprises and food industries) invested part of their turnover in innovation during the previous year.

The intention to repeat the investment in the near future is high (77.4%), especially regarding product and process innovation. This trend is confirmed by the willingness to carry out Research & Development activities over the next three years.

In particular, companies focused investments mainly on product improvement and production process optimization, while organizational innovations proved to be less frequent.

More than 50% of the interviewed companies participated in regional public calls over the last three years, 32% registered a trademark, and 22.7% took part in awards or competitions.

INVESTMENTS AND HINDERING FACTORS

Among the investments made in the last year was the purchase of tangible assets, particularly by food and beverage industries. These companies also invested more heavily in communication activities and employee training compared to agricultural enterprises.

Agricultural companies, on the other hand, stated that they incurred expenses for consultancy services aimed at project development and the implementation of innovative solutions.

The main factors hindering innovation activities are related to financial aspects: difficulties in obtaining public funding (58.7%), excessively high innovation costs (49.4%), and lack of financial resources to allocate to innovation activities (47.1%).

The information channels most commonly used by companies to stay updated are: the internet (66.8% of cases), personal networks (46.6%), and conferences (42.8%).

Agricultural enterprises also rely heavily on information shared by trade associations.

The interviewed companies demonstrated high sensitivity toward environmental issues. 66.7% of the companies declared that they pay attention to sustainability within their business activities.

WHAT ARE CAMPANIAN COMPANIES MISSING?

The survey highlighted the need for an organization capable of guiding companies in drafting projects for funding applications (56.7%), supporting innovation activities (49%), marketing and communication activities (49%), and training (43.9%).

Companies expressed the need for an organization able to combine these services with attention to the local territory through promotional activities (75.6%) and the coordination of a local business network (85.3%).

THE ROLE OF ENGINEERING IN AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION

The survey highlights how the agri-food sector increasingly requires multidisciplinary skills and guidance in innovation.

Industrial, food, and chemical engineers now play a central role not only in technological development, but also in the management of innovation processes, production optimization, and the introduction of sustainable models.

From new intelligent packaging technologies to innovative preservation processes, and up to the valorization of agro-industrial waste, engineering contributions are becoming increasingly strategic in supporting the transformation of the sector.

IN CONCLUSION

The research results show a dynamic sector, interested in innovation and increasingly oriented toward process sustainability, digitalization, and greater attention to the final consumer.

The Campanian agri-food sector possesses skills, tradition, and production capabilities. The challenge for the coming years will be to transform these potentialities into structured and continuous innovation capable of strengthening the territory’s competitiveness in national and international markets, with a strong ecological component. To support this growth, the role of the industrial engineer will be fundamental.

The survey results:

Il settore agroalimentare campano - Report 01