Stride By Legacy: Unveiling Innovation Strategies In The Italian Footwear District The Case Of Diadora

Abstract

In the dynamic sport & lifestyle industry, product and process innovations are emerging continuously as a way for companies to remain competitive in a fierce market and adapt to ever-changing consumer preferences. In particular, innovation management will be investigated under the topic of design-driven innovation and the dichotomy of innovation of meaning and innovation of solutions supported by Verganti. The dissertation will move to the specific context of Sportsystem, the Italian Asolo and Montebelluna footwear district, delivering a business case on Diadora, a leading company operating in the district. Considering the context of analysis, academic support will be provided on the relevance of traditions, craftsmanship, and know-how joined with sustainability dynamics dominating the global market. Afterward, the business case will be addressed with a detailed historical investigation of the general sportswear industry and deeper at a district level with Sportsystem’s local dynamics. Through direct interviews with the company executives, Diadora’s business context will be then introduced and explained moving to the assessment of empirical findings on the topic of innovation of solutions concerning this context and its complementarity to the innovation of solutions strategy although the issue of overcrowding of ideas.