Is it time for a new research project?
How can research results be utilised? Who can benefit from them and how?
SLU Holding collaborates with research groups to find answers to these questions through the utilisation services specified below.
The offer is primarily intended to be carried out during the project implementation phase.
OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT
The purpose of the opportunity assessment is to evaluate under what conditions the results of the project can be utilisable, what functionalities it can offer a need owner and what demand exists for a solution with these characteristics.
METHOD:
- Basic situation analysis and data collection.
- Through interviews with project management.
- Brainstorming regarding customer groups and offer.
- Through workshop with the project team.
- Development of one or more Value Proposition Canvas(es) (VPC), which defines value propositions relative to selected target groups.
- Through workshop with the project team.
EXPECTED RESULTS FROM OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT:
- Definition of the offer / offers. What is the offer?
- What types of products/services can the project lead to?
- Who is the customer/recipient/user?
- What customer groups can benefit from the project’s product/service?
- Is the customer the same as the user?
- Questions to take on to Research-related verification of exploitation potential
- What assumptions need to be verified to find out if this is accurate?
IMPLEMENTER:
The work is led and compiled by an external consultant/workshop leader/facilitator with knowledge of developing a value proposition in collaboration with business and innovation advisors from SLU Holding. The project management and project team are required to actively participate.
COSTS:
The costs of Opportunity assessment are limited to a maximum of SEK 150,000 (excl. VAT) for the project.
WHEN:
Approximately 25-50% of the way into the project. Can also be done at the end of a project, or after a project is completed, as a basis for determining the orientation of the follow-on projects.
RESEARCH-RELATED VERIFICATION OF UTILISATION POTENTIAL
After one or more delimited application possibilities have been identified, an investigation should be carried out of the technical and economic aspects that provide a basis for evaluating whether the concept is feasible in the application in question. The assumptions/hypotheses regarding an idea/business concept developed during the opportunity assessment need to be validated/verified in relation to the market and its actors. Depending on the results, the utilisation must be tested and adapted iteratively.
METHOD:
- Specify the resources and contacts needed to verify whether our assumptions regarding customer and market needs are correct.
- Through workshop with the project team.
- Verify established assumptions regarding customer and market needs.
- Depending on the complexity, this can be done by the project team itself, through student consultants or by an external consultant brought in with the support of SLU Holding.
- Iterative customisation of offer and customer group. Development of new Value Proposition Canvas and, if applicable, a Business Model Canvas.
- Through workshop with the project team.
EXPECTED RESULTS FROM RESEARCH-RELATED VERIFICATION OF UTILISATION POTENTIAL (SOMETIMES CALLED EXPLOITATION POTENTIAL OR INNOVATION POTENTIAL)
- Validated Value Proposition Canvas in relation to the customer group verified as having the greatest potential.
- Draft, rough model of business model canvas.
IMPLEMENTER:
The work is led and compiled by an external consultant/workshop leader/facilitator with knowledge of developing a value proposition in collaboration with business and innovation advisors from SLU Holding. The project management and project team are required to actively participate.
COSTS:
The costs of Research-related verification of utilisation potential are limited to a maximum of SEK 150,000 (excl. VAT) for the project.
WHEN:
After completed opportunity assessment, approximately 50-75% of the way into the project.
INTELLECTUAL ASSET INVENTORY
A plan is developed around the best way to move forward with the concept. This step includes an intellectual asset inventory. In most projects, it is important for a strategy covering important protection aspects (e.g. patent, trademark, design, etc.) to be included in the process from an early stage.
METHOD:
- Identify intellectual assets in the project.
- Through workshops or individual meetings with researchers.
- Develop an IP strategy.
- Through workshops or individual meetings with researchers, in order to hold discussions regarding business concepts, utilisation potential, competitive situation, publications and need for protection aspects. The NABC method is used as a basis, with a special focus on the competitive situation. Carried out by, or in close collaboration with, a patent lawyer.
- Examination of patentability.
- Carried out by a patent lawyer.
- Novelty search, if applicable.
- Carried out by a patent lawyer.
- In cases where the funder allows it and a need exists, preparation and submission of patent application (carried out by a patent lawyer in close collaboration with the inventors).
- In cases where the funder allows it and a need exists, preparation and submission of design registration or trademark application.
EXPECTED RESULTS OF INTELLECTUAL ASSET INVENTORY:
- An understanding of what questions need to be answered in order to evaluate whether the value of the invention is high enough to merit applying for patent/design/trademark protection.
- Development of an IP strategy.
- Clarification of who the inventors are and who will own any future patents/trademarks/designs.
- Application documents for design, trademark or patent, and submission of these documents if this proves appropriate.
IMPLEMENTER:
The work is led and compiled by an external consultant/patent lawyer with knowledge of developing an IP strategy in collaboration with business and innovation advisors from SLU Holding. The project team is required to actively participate, with a special focus on the persons identified as inventors. A patent lawyer conducts assessments of patentability, novelty searches if applicable, submission of design registration or trademark application, and, if applicable, submits patent applications in collaboration with the inventors.
COSTS:
The costs are difficult to calculate as they depend entirely on the outcome of the inventory of the project’s intellectual assets. They are estimated at less than SEK 150,000 (excl. VAT) for points 1-4. Consultancy costs for patenting or other IP protection (points 5-6) are only allowed by certain funders.
WHEN:
May be suitable at any time during the project, at the beginning, middle or end, depending on the outcome.
NETWORKING WITH PROSPECTIVE USERS/CUSTOMERS
Networking with prospective partners in the project, as well as prospective customers, is carried out to verify the market potential. Important aspects of validation/verification include ensuring that there is a real need and market for the product or service to be developed. In order to do this, networking must be conducted with a number of prospective customers/users during the course of the utilisation. In other words, networking with prospective consumers needs to be done during all steps: Opportunity assessment, Research-related verification of exploitation/utilisation potential and intellectual asset inventory. Networking can also involve establishing contact with relevant consultants and suppliers of the services the project needs in order to carry out other steps.
METHOD:
Networking carried out physically, by phone/email and digitally. Meet and talk to prospective customers, users, investors and partners, as well as external consultants who need to be brought in to carry out the other steps/stages.
EXPECTED RESULTS OF NETWORKING WITH PROSPECTIVE USERS/CUSTOMERS:
Clarification of issues that arise during the other stages, Opportunity assessment, Research-related verification of utilisation potential and Intellectual asset inventory, where external information is needed from potential partners, customers or users.
IMPLEMENTER:
Business and innovation advisors from SLU Holding support the project management and project team in the work and assist with contacts and networking, possibly with the help of an external consultant with knowledge and contacts in the relevant area. The project management and project team are required to actively participate.
COSTS:
Costs of networking including travel and accommodation are limited to SEK 75,000 (excl. VAT) for each utilisation project identified during the opportunity assessment. Can be several per project.
WHEN:
May be suitable at any time during the project, at the beginning, middle or end, depending on the outcome.
