Business innovation and Internationalisation : Focus on the Italian Coffee Industry

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on the relationship between innovation and internationalisation, from the perspective of a joint analysis of the two phenomena. In the theoretical framework of business innovation, where internationalisation could also be considered as an innovative process, a study of two Italian coffee firms was conducted. This sector is the emblem of made in Italy abroad and is characterised by competitive global dynamics that can undermine its traditional sources of value creation, often based on technological-productive features. In order to obtain as well as maintain competitive advantage, firms need to adopt an integrated vision of the processes of both innovation and internationalisation.