Food innovation and sustainability: Javiera Mujica’s journey
7 September 2026Building a career in the agrifood sector today requires more than product knowledge. It calls for technical expertise, managerial skills, and a broader understanding of the systems where innovation, sustainability, supply chains, and business models intersect.
This awareness guided Javiera Mujica, Alumna of the Executive Master in Food Innovation and Regeneration at Bologna Business School, in choosing to continue her professional journey through a program able to integrate different perspectives.
After university, Javiera decided not to pursue a Master’s degree immediately. Instead, she chose to enter the job market, gain experience, and better understand the areas in which she wanted to grow.
“I spent almost six years looking for a Master’s program that truly aligned with the direction I wanted to take in my professional career.”
From research to food tech
Javiera’s journey began in food research before moving into the industry. This transition played an important role in defining her professional interests.
After joining a food tech company, she had the opportunity to work in food product development and R&D, gradually taking on greater responsibilities and eventually leading different product categories and multidisciplinary teams.
Working in a non-traditional food company also allowed her to explore new approaches to innovation and tackle challenges that required skills beyond purely technical expertise.
This is where the need to broaden her knowledge emerged.
“I was particularly attracted by the combination of food innovation and managerial skills, as well as the strong focus on sustainability and regenerative practices within the agrifood sector.”
Another important factor in choosing the Executive Master in Food Innovation and Regeneration was the focus on business models, an area that had previously played a smaller role in her professional experience.
Her goal was to complement her technical and R&D background with a broader understanding of business dynamics, gaining new tools to interpret innovation from a strategic perspective as well.
Looking beyond the product
One of the aspects that most significantly changed Javiera’s perspective was the very meaning of food innovation.
Before the Master, her work was mainly focused on product development, research, and bringing new solutions to market. Her experience at BBS enabled her to broaden this perspective to encompass the entire food system.
“I learned to consider not only the product itself, but also the wider food system around it.”
Sustainability therefore takes on a broader meaning. It is not limited to the characteristics of a food product or reducing its environmental impact, but also involves the sourcing of raw materials, supply chain design, relationships with communities, business models, and the tools used to measure the effects of decisions.
This perspective means looking at the agrifood sector as an ecosystem in which companies, farmers, researchers, communities, and consumers can all contribute to the same innovation process.
For Javiera, collaboration among different stakeholders is one of the key conditions for increasing the impact of new solutions.
Innovation as impact
This more systemic perspective has also changed the way Javiera approaches her work today.
The technical feasibility of a product remains essential, but it is only one of the elements to consider. Environmental and social impact, the value generated for the business, and the ability to develop solutions consistent with a more sustainable and regenerative food system are equally important.
“Today, I try to look beyond the technical feasibility of a product and consider its broader environmental, social, and business impact.”
This approach reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the Executive Master in Food Innovation and Regeneration, where food, management, and sustainability expertise are connected to interpret the transformation of the sector from complementary perspectives.
Technical expertise and managerial skills
For those looking to build a career in the food industry, Javiera identifies the combination of technical preparation and managerial skills as one of the key elements.
A solid scientific and technological foundation remains essential for working in food development and understanding the evolution of the sector. On its own, however, it is no longer enough.
It is also important to understand business dynamics, recognise how the different components of the food system are connected, and develop the ability to lead people and processes.
Her advice is also not to assess innovation solely on the ability to bring a new product to market.
“Innovation should be evaluated by the value and impact it creates, not only for the business and consumers, but also for the environment and the communities involved.”
For Javiera, developing this perspective has been key both to her professional growth and to the way she understands leadership in the food industry.
Her experience in the Executive Master in Food Innovation and Regeneration allowed her to integrate established skills with new perspectives, moving from a predominantly product-focused view to a broader understanding of agrifood innovation.
A perspective in which research, business, sustainability, and managerial capabilities become part of the same process: creating value through solutions that can succeed in the market while also contributing to the evolution of the food system.
