Højer Pølser (i.e.: Højer Sausages) is a small family owned enterprise. The company was found interesting to the LIV project on two accounts. Being located in Højer close to the Danish-German border, the company certainly qualifies as rural. Moreover, despite its modest size it has established a reputation as a successful innovator winning a large number of product awards over the years. Against this background the study aims 1) to describe the innovative practice allowing the company to innovate profitably over an extended period of time and 2) to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of being situated in a remote, rural area.
The company was seen to base its business on strong competencies in exploiting the special natural conditions of the Wadden Sea area, in drawing on the traditional local skills and traditions for sausage making, in integrating all levels of the value chain from primary production to end user, and, finally, in mastering all of the key functions of the innovation process – search, selection, production and market launch.