Commercialisation
We apply a cross-domain, consistent methodology that examines and prepares your research for commercialisation.
Our consultants help you answer some difficult commercial questions at each stage of your project so a commercial vision can be intertwined with your research outputs.
Accelerate your research towards commercial viability
Our unique Commercial Pathway Methodology, specially designed for EU-funded Research and Development (R&D) projects is infused with the core principles of the Lean Startup methodology. Our approach transforms challenges into opportunities, maximizing the market potential of R&D results and ensuring efficient use of resources. Through iterative cycles, a deep focus on customer feedback, and nimble market-entry tactics, we provide a fresh roadmap for propelling innovations from the lab to the market in the realm of EU R&D projects.
Our process can be found here: https://osf.io/675sc/
Phase 1: Customer Validation
In this foundational phase, our methodology zeroes in on pinpointing and fine-tuning the actual needs and preferences of customers to lay the groundwork for assured market resonance. This stage is characterized by in-depth Market and Stakeholder Assessments, leading into specialized Business Validation through direct interaction with potential users.
Delving into the Market and Stakeholder Assessment, our team conducts exhaustive research to decode the nuances of the target market, identifying major players and understanding their specific challenges. This profound insight equips us to carve out effective segmentation and targeting strategies.
Shifting focus to Business Validation, we prioritize engagement with key users and stakeholders. With an arsenal of tools like questionnaires and direct interviews, we mine for actionable feedback that hones in on a solution that truly resonates. Every piece of feedback is meticulously analyzed, allowing for constant recalibration to ensure our solution addresses a market-relevant challenge.
All through this process, our emphasis remains on deepening our understanding of the customer. We progressively mold our solution, bolstered by collective workshops and co-development sessions, ensuring it’s primed for market success.
Phase 2: Solution Alignment
During our Solution Alignment phase, we strategically align our innovations to match the precise needs of the discerning market. But this alignment isn’t just within our core team. We embark on a holistic journey, aiming to discover commercial pioneers with the vision and tenacity to lead the transition from R&D brilliance to marketplace triumph.
This holistic approach recognizes that the best commercial leader may not always be within our immediate consortium. Our goal is to pinpoint potential collaborators who can best champion our innovations. Thus, we meticulously assess the market, examining existing products and services, to determine the kind of organization most adept at introducing our innovative solutions to the commercial stage.
Our strategy is twofold: Firstly, we collaborate with proactive commercial leaders ready to spearhead the commercialization. Secondly, if such a leader isn’t immediately identifiable, we embark on a data-driven quest to find the right commercial avenue.
Collaboration is key. It ensures our innovations resonate with market needs and align with our partners’ commercial goals. In situations where the ideal commercial partner isn’t immediately available, we look beyond our consortium. Our focus shifts to laying groundwork for future potential leaders, through mechanisms like template licensing agreements, open-source technology explorations, and strategic plans designed to guide partners on the commercial path.
Distinctively, our approach offers an evolution from the traditional Lean Startup mindset. We don’t just fast-track revenue; we cultivate an environment to champion future success. Here, our Product and Service Portfolio is more than just a strategy—it’s a blueprint. It provides both an overview of upcoming products and a roadmap for passionate pioneers ready to introduce game-changing innovations to the market.
Conclusively, this phase represents our commitment to breaking the mold, as we not only accelerate commercial milestones but also enable and empower a wider community to bring groundbreaking innovations to market fruition.
Phase 3: Business Model Selection
In the Business Model Selection phase, our focus sharpens on pinpointing the perfect business model, one that guarantees not just the acquisition but also the long-term retention of valuable customers. With an expansive lens, we sift through various potential models, ensuring they resonate with commercial trailblazers and our first-wave of adopters. Our goal is to craft a resilient market entry blueprint.
Leveraging interactive Business Model Workshops and industry-leading tools like the Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas, PESTLE, and SWOT analyses, our team and partners collaboratively hone in on the most effective business model options. The chosen model harmonizes with the objectives of our commercial leaders while deeply resonating with our target audience.
This selection process isn’t static—it’s dynamic and iterative. Each workshop births fresh insights and sparks collective innovation. And as we refine with each step, we delicately maneuver the equilibrium between market allure and real-world viability. This meticulous sculpting ensures that the business model doesn’t just cater to market needs but also echoes the ambitions of our partners and commercial leaders.
Ultimately, after these intensive cycles, what emerges is a robust, tailored business model—optimized and primed for the next stages of our commercialization voyage.
Phase 4: Launch and Growth Strategy
Diving into the Launch and Growth Strategy, our emphasis is on weaving together a cohesive business blueprint that champions continuous growth and long-term stability. This crucial stage crafts intricate roadmaps spanning Financial, People, Product, Marketing, Sales, and Funding dimensions, creating a unified strategy that propels our commercialization vision forward.
Our Financial Templates offer a transparent glimpse into the expected revenue streams, anticipated expenses, and vital investment outlines, sketching a lucid financial trajectory for our project. Paired with this, our sessions with commercial trailblazers furnish us with unparalleled insights into growth targets, market ingress tactics, and crucial resource allocation paradigms.
Championing the spirit of the Lean approach, this phase morphs into a vibrant arena of perpetual enhancements. As our business blueprint undergoes each iteration, it’s enriched by the seasoned perspectives of our commercial leaders and forward-focused financial forecasts. This cyclical refinement ensures our strategy is not only in harmony with the visions of our commercial leaders but also acutely tuned to market financial dynamics.
At the heart of this cycle, what blossoms is a business strategy that’s not just a static plan but an ever-evolving guide—meticulously crafted to navigate the journey to expansive growth and resonant market presence.
Our Commercial Pathway Methodology goes beyond conventional tactics, embedding customer-focused validation and iterative growth into the path to commercialization. Its impact resonates far beyond singular projects, with the potential to revolutionize the broader sphere of EU-funded R&D ventures. By tackling challenges head-on, maximizing resources, and championing collaboration, our approach heralds a cutting-edge phase of R&D commercialization that’s nimble, data-driven, and primed for expansion. In a rapidly evolving innovation arena, the Commercial Pathway Methodology shines as a flexible, future-ready framework. It adeptly navigates the intricate terrains of novel technologies and the ever-adapting EU policies. At its core lies a dedication to merging scientific prowess with commercial triumph, marking it as an essential instrument for turning EU-backed R&D initiatives into tangible market successes.
Kevin Fleming from Australia is a geophysicist by training with extensive research and project management experience, ranging from mineral exploration, sea-level change studies, glaciology, satellite geodesy, geodynamics, natural hazard and risk assessment, and serious games development. He has managed projects supported by the European Commission within international and multi-disciplinary contexts in seismic and multi-hazard and risk assessment and early warning, with considerable experience in stakeholder interaction.
Results-driven professional adept in strategy and tactics, with a focus on iterative design, strategic innovation and collaboration. Embracing the blend of people and technology, with a proven track record of effectively weaving the strengths of the two into better solutions.
Ursula is a United Nations Educator, Executive Coach, and experienced consultant working to actively engage the public and private sectors in aligning business activities with sustainable development. She holds a BSc in International Relations from La Sapienza University of Rome, and an IMBA in International Business Administration from Luiss Business School. She has covered a wide range of roles promoting meaningful dialogue with purpose-driven business leaders to co-create lasting solutions for a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Space 2030 Agenda. Her participation, dedication, and spirit toward aligning business models with sustainable development principles are the main elements that motivate Ursula to drive innovation and co-create value in commercialization initiatives at ICP.
Vassilios has over 20 years’ experience in technology transfer and commercialisation across a wide range of early-stage technologies. He has worked with SMEs to evaluate technology concepts on technical and market viability towards the creation of new products and services. In recent years, Vassilios worked at UCL Business ltd, where he supported academic teams in the commercialisation of innovative technologies. Vassilios has set up spinout companies, developed business plans and technology roadmaps, and raised early-stage investment.
