Abstract

ROSA, Alexandra  and  MIRA GODINHO, Manuel. Cultural, institutional and technological changes in Portugal: a case study on innovation in fruit juices. Rev. iberoam. cienc. tecnol. soc. [online]. 2013, vol.8, n.24, pp.251-264. ISSN 1850-0013.

Overlooked by the agendas of innovation studies for many years, mature sectors have attracted increasing interest. This interest has arisen either because these sectors continue to hold a significant weight in the economies of developed countries, or because some empirical studies have shown that companies operating in traditional sectors can be quite innovative, even when their investments in research and development are close to zero. Yet, studies of innovation in mature sectors are still quite scarce, particularly in Portugal. This article describes a case study of a Portuguese innovative horticultural company. The study focuses on the obstacles and opportunities that certain institutional, cultural and technological changes, which have been taking place in Portugal since 1986, have created for the Portuguese horticultural sector. The case describes the process by which an enterprise of a technologically mature industry is able to market a product based on an emerging technology, illustrating in detail the evolution of the complex process of innovation in a "real-life" setting.

Keywords : Innovation; Traditional sectors; Agri-food industry; High-pressure technology.