Innova Market Insights
Powering better decision-making
What are the latest launches and product development trends in the food and beverage industry? Which factors are driving growth in a product category? At Innova Market Insights, a member of Foodvalley for almost 15 years, they know how to collect and leverage this information to help customers make better decisions.
“The establishment of an international probiotics manufacturer in the Netherlands in 1994 caused a revolution in the food industry,” says Lu Ann Williams, Co-Founder & Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights. “It completely changed the way people looked at food; suddenly, functional ingredients and technology were part of the consumer perspective.”
Access to the innovation ecosystem
Williams and her co-founder knew that this was the right moment to launch their business providing global market intelligence services. “We settled in Arnhem, which was already the place to be for research and technology in food and beverages,” Williams explains. In order to keep ahead of what was happening and gain access to the innovation ecosystem, the agency became one of Foodvalley’s first members in 2004.
“Our membership has brought us many valuable networking relationships, and we have put several customers in contact with partners in the Foodvalley ecosystem. We are still seeing the benefits today,” says Williams.
Latest consumer trends
According to the entrepreneur, Foodvalley’s current innovation themes – Protein Shift, Food & Health, and Circular Agrifood – are in line with the latest consumer trends. “Personalized nutrition, healthy ageing, and natural, sustainable processing are hot topics right now. And after the COVID-19 pandemic, functional foods are back on the agenda.”
Bringing knowledge
Over the years, Innova has compiled the world’s largest data set with market insights for the food & beverage industry. “We leverage these insights to help our customers make better decisions regarding, for example, technologies to invest in, markets and clients to focus on, and how to position their products.” The company also participates in events, giving presentations on market trends and moderating the discussion. For example, they recently participated in a panel discussion on influencer engagement in the marketing of products.
One-stop-shop
Williams is ambitious when it comes to the Foodvalley ecosystem: “We want to turn the Foodvalley region into a one-stop-shop, a place where delegations from abroad can find everything they need: from top research and innovative technologies to the market insights that add context to the solutions provided.”
