2. Commercialization of
Innovations
§ Commercialization is a long and
winding road
§ Highly competitive, widespread
competence, research excellence
§ Not focused on the technology itself,
but on the business prospects and
pathways that results from the
2
3. Commercialization of
Innovations
§ Commercialization is a “body
contact sport”
§ Engages on many level, with many
stakeholders
§ Communication is key
§ How, with who, why, what, when
you communicate is part of the work3
4. Commercialization of
Innovations
§ University/research institute
approaches to innovation
§ Researcher-entrepreneurs often
insist on the “whole” innovation
§ Focus on fresh approaches or
perspectives over current ways of
doing 4
5. Commercialization of
Innovations
§ “IADD” has made everything
seem fluid & impermanent
§ Difficult to get attention; claims are
made fast and die fast
§ Important to have continuous
feedback from market players
§ RICAP provides these
5
8. Peergate
§ Focused on an alternative web-
mail service, specifically for
scientists
§ Will help to categorize and prioritize
messages automatically
§ Innovative doc searching and
cataloguing capacity
8
9. Peergate
§ Lessons learned: “pivot” away
more than once
§ Flexibility in developing the “model”
§ Understand who will buy and why
§ What exists and how do we fit in?
§ Let’s hear from the entrepreneur!
9
10. Green WaterNano
Technology
§ Focused on treatment and
extraction of metals from water
§ Remediation, re-use, using
innovative nanoparticle fibers
§ Strong research base, some
validation
10
11. Green WaterNano
Technology
§ “Soft landing” participant: 1 week
in Southern California
§ Feedback, consultation, customer
discovery/identification
11
12. Green Water
Nanotechnology
§ Lessons learned:
§ Less about the technology, and
more about: “why would or should
anyone buy from you?”
§ Business model, revenue model,
partnership model, sales
channels 12
13. Wyliodrin
§ The need for user-directed
programming is widely-felt and
necessary due to the increasing
digitization of devices and
interfaces: “embedded devices”
§ Focused on making user13
14. Wyliodrin
§ “Soft landing participant in
Southern California:
1 week
§ Lessons learned: Cool is cool.
Interesting but:
§ Who is your customer? Why does it14
15. RICAP Cycle I: Lessons
Learned
§ Candidates need to identify:
§ Problem their innovation will
address
§ Solution in terms of what currently
exists
§ Competition (always assume
competition) 15
16. RICAP Cycle I: Lessons
Learned
§ Keep expectations aligned
with what is possible
§ Flexibility in light of evidence
§ Expect to change because of
broader horizons (larger markets
outside Romania, especially U.S.)
§ The “cool” factor is universal:
16
17. RICAP’s Innovation
Coverage
§ IT and computing
(educational/entertainment
software, web-based services)
§ Life sciences (biotech, biomed,
health care IT etc.)
§ “Cleantech” (“alternative” energy17
