Modes of innovation in the Canadian wine industry

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sectoral variety and common patterns of innovation in the wine industry. It intends to explore the nature, extent and sources of variety of innovation in the Canadian wineries.

The data employed come from a firm‐level survey addressed to 146 wine establishments in Canada. Results were analysed using factor analysis and non‐parametric statistical analysis.

The results reveal wineries tend to introduce many innovation activities which are internalised or externalised, draw on a variety of different sources of information, with a clear distinction between market sources, government sources (laboratories, research centres) and educational establishments, and introduced different types of innovation, including product and process but also organisational innovation.

The results suggest individual wineries innovate differently, but within a limited number of fairly consistent modes.

There is presently no published research investigating the different modes of innovation with regards to the wine industry and the case of Canada can provide valuable insights to understand how innovation is developed and sustained in cool climate regions.