Is Our Focus on the Market?

2009 February 9
by Cliff Zintgraff

A question for our living cases (and everyone else) — during the introductions, how much of the focus was on the technology, and how much on the market opportunity? Of course, it is important to explain the technology to provide context. But it’s important to allow be thinking about the market opportunity, about developing it and making it bigger.

Comments?

from → Feb 9-10, 2009, FCT/UNL

6 Responses leave one →
  1. 2009 February 9
    Luis Amado permalink

    I agree the market is key and we might even think of creating ventures based on a market need that can be addressed by a certain technology.
    But we do not leave in an ideal world and if we want to leverage the R&D results and existing technologies sometimes we need to start form the technology and identify the potential market opportunity of it. This might not be a trivial or straightforward task but that does not always mean that the final result will not be rewarding. The most difficult things/ways are usually the more rewarding ones.
    US market oriented posture would have very valuable input in the technology assessment but there are situations in which the output might not be as clear as expected and we have to give it another try.

  2. 2009 February 9
    Antonio Valente permalink

    In my perspective this is one of THE key elements on PLY decision to participate in the UTEN Portugal program.

    MARKET bz opportunities identification and the methodologies we can learn to pursue this goal with Ic2 staff/support.

    Where else could we learn about Gazelles and Rockets?

    Thank you Darius!

  3. 2009 February 11
    paula hortinha permalink

    And why not making R&D and Marketing working closely to link market and tech capabilities of the companies?

  4. 2009 February 11
    Cliff Zintgraff permalink

    I agree with Luis’ comment completely. The answer to whether technology transfer is “push” or “pull” is “yes!” It is both. We need pure R&D, and we need market-driven (applied) research. To be more specific with my original comment, I believe that once a team has turned its attention to commercialization, it is essential to rapidly engage the market. This is easy to say but much harder to do. It would have been good to hear more about potential markets and sizes during the five-minute intros.

  5. 2009 February 11
    Antonio Valente permalink

    Absolutely,

    let’s jump-on on PLY Opencell panel technology!

    PS. One of the crazy applications is a sustainable energy generator

  6. 2009 February 11
    Antonio Valente permalink

    Paula, how do you foresee it?

    I believe you know a little about PLY already, please let’s make it happen and if we get in trouble we have our friends from UTEN to dig us out…

    Let’s go minning!