Generating a toolbox to support research based business from scratch may have two main problems:
- On one side, trying to re-invent the wheel as research based business is not a new concept and there are already many tools available to support entrepreneurship to conceptualize businesses.
- On the other, developing something which users may not need because it is either too complex or simple, or either because it is useful for something they do not really need to do.
To avoid these two issues, the ACCESS2EIC project defined a structured dialog with the FET community, both NCPs and potential applicants and evaluators for FET Launchpad and/or FET transition activities in order to select which tools and in which format would be useful for them according to their needs, but always in the frame and “the language” of what can be expected within the European Innovation Council.
In this framework the ACCESS2EIC tools to be developed would be the ones top raked by its potential users upfront but also would be “pluggable” directly in the future proposal document of the “EIC Transition to Innovation” calls in Horizon Europe, which seems to be the place where proposers would need to work in the conceptualization of their business.
This frame consists of three complementary approaches and tools:
This tool pretends to be a quick guide to the main business terms used in the business domain with a clear link towards the different stages where a business can be in their path from creation to sustainability. The ultimate objective of presenting the glossary this way is to ease the transition from a technology output to a sustainable business. In this sense, there is an acknowledged bias towards technology based business and its main features in the terms included in this glossary.
Although in the pre-commercialization phase monitoring this would require a thorough competitive analysis in order to not only map your competitors but also develop proper marketing approaches, in more preliminary stages, where the technology is still “at promising stage”, this competitive analysis can be just limited to highlight main potential competitors and their relative position towards the market compared with your solution.
The TB.Map has been built to help you in this mapping exercise but also to define a framework for you to research and learn on your competitive environment.
At some point in any technology development, the developer needs to understand how big their market opportunity could be. This is especially relevant in disruptive technologies developed by start-ups or spin-offs as, due to their innovativeness can tackle different markets, but typically due to the company size, they cannot cope with all of them at the same time.
The B.size tool is developed with such objective to help companies and/or researchers, with a guided process, to calculate roughly the order of magnitude of their business opportunities as well as a first estimate of their potential revenues in three different markets.
Read the A2EIC Toolbox Guidelines in order to take advantage of the A2EIC ToolBoox!
The Toolbox was produced under the framework of Access2EIC, the official network for Horizon 2020 National Contact Points (NCP) for the new European Innovation Council (EIC). ACCESS2EIC’s prime objective is to provide support and specialised services to NCPs and participants in the EIC. For enquiries regarding this Toolbox please contact us at www.access2EIC.eu