Structured innovation in the baking industry
We talked to Tina Lindeløv, Innovation manager at Lantmännen Unibake-Schulstad, about product innovation in the baking industry.
Lantmännen Unibake is one of the largest bakery companies in Europe, providing customers with over 400,000 tons of bread every year. The Schulstad brand is an important part of Lantmännen Unibake and is focused on innovation, since its very beginning in 1880.
The founder of Schulstad, Viggo Schulstad, was one of the first people in the baking industry focusing strongly on quality and hygiene standards. For many years, he put a lot of effort into research, in order to create new and healthy types of bread. Schulstad continues to innovate, today with the support of Tina, who is part of Schulstad’s innovation processes since 19 years.
Here is a summary of the insights.
- Ensure a clear innovation strategy
- Listen closely to specific consumer preferences, not only to general trends
- Manage retailer-relationships and align with them on the strategic direction
- Invest into a more collaborative innovation culture
- Use a stage-gate model to evaluate concepts
