Abstract
Background: Innovation can result from progressive or significant changes to existing products leading to improvements in performance and user value. This is the type of innovation that is more easily perceived by the consumer, as it results in the creation of new products or the improvement of existing ones. Innovation in the Crafts Sector is a relevant topic to address market changes, and meet evolving consumer preferences. In this vein, artisans need to meet the calls for regularly investing in the design of new products and processes, with the purpose of achieving the sustainability of their business.
Methods: This article addresses the existing calls for contextualizing the crafts sector and for fostering product innovation in this area, by investigating the barriers and problems faced by artisans, as well as by exploring existing experiences in overcoming them. The article builds on data collected in five European countries, under the scope of the Erasmus+ Project Craftsmanship+ “Fostering a New and Competitive Approach to Crafts and Semi Industrial high added-value sectors”1.
Results and Conclusion: The aim is to analyze the importance of the crafts sector in a European context. This article contributes in a timely manner to the understanding of the crafts sector by paying attention to the obstacles that artisans face in order to ensure the sustainability of their business by introducing product innovation into their organization and/or market. This study offers a collection of innovation experiences in realities that are very significant for territorial identity, and thus aims to provide an incentive for further research.
Keywords: Product innovation, crafts sector, new product development, barriers, ICT, market, MSME.
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