“We Created Our Ecosystem”: A Multi-Country Case Study of Adoption Strategies for IoT in Agriculture

In this paper, we present preliminary findings from our ongoing research on the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture, addressing the limited scholarly focus on practical implementation of IoT-based business innovations in the field. The study employs a multiple exploratory case study approach, focusing on four countries: Greece, Italy, Serbia, and Türkiye. Through qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and field observations, we investigate how the diffusion of IoT innovations unfolds across diverse geographical and socio-economic contexts. Our findings underscore the early stage of the innovation ecosystem formation within the IoT market for agriculture, which is often fragmented, loosely coupled, and ephemeral. This necessitates that companies strategise effectively, aligning with the evolving and, in some cases, yet-to-emerge IoT ecosystem to ensure successful IoT-driven ventures. Our research extends the literature by proposing a new framework that offers guidance for practitioners in selecting suitable adoption strategies for IoT in agriculture.