Collective smart innovations and corporate governance models in Italian wine cooperatives: the opportunities of the farm-to-fork strategy

Abstract

European policies, especially the ‘farm-to-fork strategy’, address the challenge posed by the ecological transition in agriculture setting up a new technological paradigm. In this context, collective smart innovations may play a crucial role, enabling to meet current citizen-consumers’ needs as well as producing positive environmental and social externalities. Lately, wineries, in the attempt to improve the sustainability of production process and the creation of competitive advantages, reoriented their investments in research and development embracing smart innovations. The latter, when supported by appropriate models of corporate governance, can facilitate business decisions and create shared value. Despite its relevance, literature on the topic is still scarce. This study aims to investigate the role played by collective smart innovations and corporate governance in the sustainable and ecological transition of wineries and, specifically, wine cooperatives. The case study methodology was adopted investigating the collective innovation ‘I mille per l’Aglianico’ implemented by the Italian wine cooperative ‘La Guardiense’. Results show that the collective smart innovation experienced by ‘La Guardiense’ had impacts in terms of internal economies, such as increase in sales and costs reduction; and in terms of external social economies, such as local development and environmental protection.