Open Innovation: the importance of industry collaboration to address challenges in the food system

At the start of July 2026, I attended an industry workshop hosted by the Open Innovation Forum – a network of companies that spans all stages of the food, drink and FMCG value chain. I presented my work on sustainable food packaging selection to professionals from across the industry and we explored the steps required to convert my research into a practical tool. The workshop included a deep dive into recent innovations in packaging, including how Domino Printing are enabling greater transparency and traceability in the food system. We also explored the short-term and long-term challenges facing the industry, and the innovations required to address them. The experience showed me how collaboration across organisations can accelerate progress on complex challenges and gave me a broader understanding of how different businesses and roles contribute to innovation in the food system.

I was invited to present research that I completed in collaboration with Samworth Brothers in 2021. The research explored how to make it easier for packaging managers in the food industry to consider sustainability as part of their decision-making. This included the development of a multi-criteria decision analysis approach to consider sustainability criteria (such as embodied energy and recyclability) alongside other criteria (like cost and fit with existing manufacturing practices) when comparing and selecting packaging materials. The experience taught me the importance of communicating technical information in a practical and accessible way. It was particularly exciting to see the interest that the project generated, with different stakeholders in the food industry providing feedback and ideas for how to develop the research into a tool for wider industry use.

Bethan Moncur presenting to food industry professionals at the Open Innovation Forum workshop

The workshop demonstrated the benefits of open innovation, a concept popularised by Henry Chesbrough to describe the process of using external ideas, technologies, and resources, alongside internal ones, to advance products and services. Organisations actively collaborate with external organisations – like startups and universities – instead of relying solely on in-house research and development. They can also explore new revenue streams by licensing out or spinning off inventions to others.

Open innovation is particularly important for addressing complex, system-wide challenges, like sustainable packaging. It requires collaboration between manufacturers, suppliers, technology providers, retailers, waste management providers, and researchers to ensure that solutions work across all parts of the value chain.

The discussions at the workshop highlighted that innovation often happens at the intersection of different parts of the food system, and seeing companies openly share experiences and challenges illustrated the value of working collectively rather than in isolation.

Open innovation in action: cross-organisation collaboration to convert Bethan’s sustainability presentation into a useful tool for industry *(blurred for confidentiality)*

One of the most valuable aspects of attending the workshop was the opportunity to network with people from a wide range of organisations and professional backgrounds. I gained a better understanding of how different companies within the food system are connected and learned a lot about different career paths within the industry. A particular highlight was a tour around the Domino Printing facilities, which opened my eyes to the complex science behind something that we usually take for granted – the technology that enables food manufacturers to print date codes (and more!) onto products.

The experience of attending and presenting at the workshop during my MDS secondment has had a great impact on my development. It has exposed me to a wider network of industry professionals, developed my confidence in presenting and discussing ideas with external stakeholders, improved my understanding of cross-industry collaboration, and reinforced the value of taking opportunities outside of my day-to-day role to broaden my perspective. The experience also gave me the opportunity to practice translating my research and what I learned into presentations to deliver internally at Protolan, where I am doing my first secondment.

The food system’s largest challenges cannot be solved by one organisation alone. Networks like the Open Innovation Forum are playing a vital role in facilitating collaboration across the value chain, bringing organisations with different expertise into one room to tackle the challenges together. Attending the workshop strengthened my appreciation for the interconnected nature of the food system and the importance of building relationships across it, which I look forward to doing throughout my career.

Thank you to Michèle Routley from IfM Engage (facilitators of the Open Innovation Forum) and Letizia Mortara from the IfM for inviting me to present. Thank you to Kerry Whiteside from Samworth Brothers for the opportunity to collaborate and for teaching me so much about the food industry. And finally, thank you to MDS and Protolan for facilitating my attendance at the event and continuing to support my career development.