Sustainable Innovation Constraints in Asymmetric Trade Relations: An Analysis of Moroccan Exporters of Eco-labelled Seafood on the European Market

This article analyzes the innovation constraints imposed on seafood exporters from emerging countries in the development of eco-labeled products for European markets. By mobilizing a systemic approach to international B2B exchanges and the theory of open sustainability, these dynamics are examined as constrained innovation systems shaped by institutional and economic pressures related to sustainability standards. The open innovation perspective is leveraged to shed light on exporters’ strategic room for maneuver in responding to these requirements. The adopted methodology relies on an exploratory qualitative approach, combining semi-structured interviews with Moroccan seafood exporters and French importers. Additional interviews with experts (auditors, researchers, representatives of professional federations) enrich the understanding of supervision and coordination practices surrounding eco-labeling processes. The objective is to identify the mechanisms generating these constraints and to analyze their effects on exchange processes, in order to evaluate their strategic and organizational implications within a sustainability-oriented logic.