Borrowing Innovative
Food Technologies from
Other Industries
White Paper
Copyright 2015 MindSumo, Inc.
Introduction
Breakthrough innovations can sometimes come from unlikely sources. It may seem counter-
intuitive, but recent examples in food manufacturing demonstrate how borrowing technology and
solutions from other industries can oftentimes be the best way to unearth new discoveries.
Surpris ing Method to Process Algae Proteins
Corjan van den Berg of the TNO Research Institute recently shared the discovery of a useful
binding agent extracted from algae proteins1. This agent is a plant protein based gel that can be
used in veggie burgers, chicken nuggets, and various bakery products. What is astonishing is that
it is three times stronger than the bond created by egg whites and also outperforms other plant-
based proteins like soya or lupin protein.
The key innovation in this discovery? A process borrowed from the paint industry! Van den Berg
explained, “The real potential lies in the products you can create by refining algae. Algae contain
proteins, omega fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber and minerals. We’re focusing on proteins right
now. We’ve managed to extract these from the algae by mechanically crushing the cells in a ball
mill, a technology we borrowed from the paint industry.”
Borrowed Innovations
The concept of borrowing
innovations from other industries
is often described as the
“diffusion of technology”. This
societal trend is frequently
studied – the propagation of
mobile phones, the adoption of
the internet, and the widespread
use of nanoparticles are great
examples of a diffusion of
technology. However, diffusion is
a naturally passive process often
describing consumer behaviors.
We need a new framework to
describe the behavior of actively
seeking technologies and
intentionally borrowing them for
new applications.
Professors Poetz, Franke, and Shreier from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and
Copenhagen Business School published a study in the Harvard Business Review in 2014 which
looked at this exact question2. Specifically, they were investigating whether new innovations and
ideas are more likely to come from within an industry, from a similar industry, or from an unrelated
industry.
photo credit: www.ms-machinery.com
Carpenters, Roofers, & Skaters
They recruited hundreds of roofers, carpenters, and inline skaters to contribute their insights to
the problem of workers’ reluctance to use safety gear because of discomfort. The professors
conducted standardized interviews with the participants, presenting the problem of lack of safety-
gear compliance as it pertains to each of the fields (essentially they asked how roofers’ safety
belts, carpenters’ respirator masks, and skaters’ knee pads could be redesigned to increase their
comfort and use). Participants had a few minutes to suggest solutions and a panel of experts
evaluated the suggestions on novelty and usefulness.
People versed in analogous fields can draw on different pools of knowledge, and they’re not
mentally constrained by existing, “known” solutions to the problem in the target field. The greater
the distance between the problem and the analogous field, the greater the novelty of solutions.
“Each group was significantly better at
thinking of novel solutions for the other
fields than for its own.”
- Poetz, Franke, & Shreier, Harvard Business Review 2014
Engaging Other Industr ies
Gathering insights from other industries is
often difficult for managers. It requires
assembling focus groups, calling experts,
forming partnerships, or crowdsourcing.
Luckily, the field of crowdsourcing or
“open-innovation” has accelerated at a
rapid pace in the last 10 years. Online
platforms give a voice to individuals who
were previously difficult to reach.
MindSumo is a unique online service, in
that it focuses on the millennial
demographic, and specifically university
students. This group of young innovators
approaches problems from the perspective
of a curious academic not yet tainted by
industry. Just like Poetz, Franke, and
Shreier described, these individuals are not
yet mentally constrained by existing,
“known” solutions.
MindSumo has worked with nearly 500
companies to launch close to 1,000
projects called “challenges”. Since each
challenge is a competition, dozens and
sometimes hundreds of university students
are competing for recognition and cash. On
average a single project can generate 75-
200 concepts in 30 days.
One interesting finding has been that the
best solutions do not necessarily come
from students who are studying the field
associated with the project content. As
MindSumo CEO Trent Hazy explains,
“When we first started launching projects
on MindSumo, we expected a strong
correlation between a project’s subject
matter and the academic discipline of the
students who had the best solutions.
However, we found that oftentimes the
best solutions come from students that are
studying a completely different field.”
Chal lenge Winners from Academic
Discipl ines Unrelated to Chal lenge Topic
Unrelated Related
Applying Prosthetic Materials to Ice Cream
In a recent challenge on MindSumo, a student studying Biomedical Engineering at the University
of Utah applied a unique material used for prosthetic limbs to an ice cream mould concept for a
global manufacturer.
“They gave us something that seemed almost impossible at first,” said the student, Joseph. “I
had to go to my knowledge of material sciences, I had to pull out a material we use for artificial
muscles and prosthetics and apply that to food manufacturing. I can’t think of any other place
where I would have had to make that jump or would have been able to.”
The lead on the project shared her experience: “Students have no preconceptions in any of the
spaces that we’re looking. We are thinking of those people who can come up with solutions that
are not mainstream. It’s very intriguing to see people taking a business or non-technical course
and come up with something great.”
photo credit: www.iceco.lt
Reducing Shrinking at Alt i tude
Another recent challenge on MindSumo asked students to think of creative ways to reduce
shrinking and expansion of ice cream during shipping over the Rocky Mountains. Logan Hilton
from Tulane University was able to use his knowledge of chemistry and microbiology to come up
with a creative solution. An excerpt from his solution reads:
“I know that cholesterol aids in the shrinking and expanding of the phospholipid bilayer for cell
membranes. Perhaps a molecule similar to cholesterol, though obviously one that is much more
healthy, can serve this purpose.
It would be difficult to find a molecule similar to cholesterol that wouldn't make the ice cream
more unhealthy, but the effect is still intriguing. The effect occurs based on the amphipathic
nature of cholesterol -- part of it is polar and part of it is non polar. It is attracted to a fatty acid,
which keeps the membrane from getting too loose and expanding. It also permeates the cell
membrane, which prevents the phospholipid heads from getting too close to each other with all
the cholesterol in the way. In this way, cholesterol prevents both shrinking and expansion.”
Conclusion
The evidence from Corjan van den Berg’s research and the results from numerous MindSumo
projects point to the same conclusion – borrowed innovation is here to stay, and should be
embraced by those not just in food manufacturing, but across all industries. Looking to external
communities for a fresh perspective can help eliminate the “known solutions” bias described by
Poetz, Franke, and Sheier, and lead to new solutions that otherwise would remain undiscovered.
About MindSumo
MindSumo helps organizations crowdsource innovative solutions from bright college students.
Companies post challenges for MindSumo's community of 200,000 undergrads, masters, and
PhDs to solve. Since 2012, the company has hosted nearly 1,000 challenges from companies like
General Mills, Coca Cola, Kroger, Unilever, Kelloggs, and many others. We are backed by top tier
investors, including Google Ventures, and work with over fifty Fortune 500 clients.
For more information, visit http://www.mindsumo.com/innovate or email [email protected]
References:
1 “Five innovations in food” Food Valley Update, October 21, 2015. Retrieved: December 5, 2015.
2 Poetz, Marion, Franke, Nikolaus, and Shreier, Martin. “Sometimes the Best Ideas Come from Outside Your Industry.” Harvard
Business Review, November 21, 2014. Retrieved: December 5, 2015.
Borrowing Innovative Food Technologies from Other Industries
Many of the most novel and groundbreaking innovations in the food industry have been adopted from other verticals. This white paper highlights several fascinating examples (algae proteins, prosthetic muscles, and cholesterol) and proposes a framework for teams to successfully seek out technologies from other industries and borrow them for new applications. Download this white paper to learn how to eliminate "known solution" bias and better identify opportunities for borrowed innovation.