Creative ideas from research formed the foundation for two days of intensive work on 3rd and 4th November 2015 in Salzburg. Eleven participants from seven CCCA member organisations came together to work with start-up expert Harald Jenull (unternehmerTUM at TU München) on turning scientific ideas into practical applications.
Newly discovered methods from the field of biology were presented alongside innovative remote sensing techniques and novel service offerings for the research community. Some participants even generated considerable interest by showcasing their first prototypes! (We're not able to share more details here due to a non-disclosure agreement.) Of particular interest were the explanations around the ideal timing for filing a patent application.
Thematically, the two days revolved primarily around sharpening the customer profiles for each product. Who is the target audience? Who is the relevant decision-maker? How do you approach that person effectively, and what are the most persuasive arguments? These considerations can help optimise project proposals and therefore offer added value — even for scientific work.
The workshop materials can be found in our forum.
Feedback from the workshop:
"The CCCA workshop 'From Science to Business — Identifying Markets for Research Results and Scientific Ideas' was enriching in every respect: Harald Jenull, head of technology transfer at UnternehmerTUM — the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Munich, is an excellent presenter. Through inspiring keynote inputs and interactive workshop settings, he introduced us to straightforward methods for commercialising research results. I'm convinced that by consistently applying these methods, we can avoid wasted effort and use available resources more effectively. In addition to many new ideas, I'm also taking away some new contacts from the 'climate community'. Many thanks to Matthias Themessl and Stefan Ropac from CCCA for the brilliant organisation!" Natalie Glas (UBA)
"Alongside stimulating specialist input, the two-day workshop also offered time for hands-on work in small interdisciplinary teams. Thanks to the holistic approach to business model development, the topic of sustainability was well integrated. I found the presentation by UnternehmerTUM München particularly inspiring — an entrepreneurship centre with a comprehensive offering ranging from initial idea through to the provision of venture capital. A great good-practice example for BOKU!" Michael Ambros (Centre for Global Change and Sustainability, BOKU)