Exploring the innovation process for the development of plant-based protein products within food companies in Germany through narrative inquiry

Animal-based food protein production contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas (GGG) emissions. A shift towards plant-based diets is widely recognised as beneficial for sustainability and health, leading to increased demand for plant-based protein food alternatives, with rapid growth and innovation in this sector. Germany, the largest European market for plant-based protein foods, provides a crucial context for this study. Despite the sector’s growing relevance, there is a lack of research on the innovation process from a management perspective, especially how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engage in and manage collaborative innovation to support sustainability and health goals. This study addresses this gap by exploring the innovation process in Germany's plant-based protein food sector, with a focus on innovation development, collaboration, and the capabilities required for managing the innovation process.
Adopting a qualitative, inductive research approach within a moderate constructivism philosophy, the study employed narrative interviews with managers of plant-based protein food companies, supported by collectively constructed documentation. Intra- and inter-story analyses were conducted using storytelling for restoryings of interviews and the meta-framework of dynamic network-process for contextualisation. Narrative inquiry was chosen to capture the lived experiences of managers navigating complex innovation processes and to reveal the contextual depth of collaborative dynamics.
The results demonstrate that the development of plant-based protein foods is a dynamic, iterative process shaped by the interplay of agility, creativity, and efficiency. Successful innovation is enabled by management adaptability, employee engagement, and strategic partnerships grounded in shared sustainability goals. The study identifies a “grey zone of

openness” in collaborative relationships, where companies balance knowledge sharing with competitive protection.
This study contributes to theory by developing a novel framework of management capabilities for collaborative food innovation by identifying three key management capabilities required for effective collaborative innovation in the plant-based protein food sector: Transformational leadership, entrepreneurial understanding and knowledge management. From a practical perspective, the findings offer actionable insights for managers in sustainability- and health-driven food sectors, especially in navigating collaboration across organisational boundaries. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the value of narrative inquiry in capturing complex, context-dependent innovation process dynamics and translating them into accessible, practice-relevant knowledge.