Category: Open innovation platforms and facilities

Pilots4U Policy Recommendations to strengthen the European landscape of open-access infrastructure

Posted on by LIFT-Team

Pilots4U aimed to set up a network of open access pilot and multipurpose demo-infrastructures for the European bio-economy. Access to such open access infrastructures are the most cost-effective manner to support the deployment of industry-driven innovations in the bio-economy market.

Typically, large-scale innovation infrastructures have very high initial cost and then require further investment and maintenance costs to retain capability. Therefore, supporting innovation policies at a regional, as well as at a European level, is of utmost importance to safeguard the long-term existence of these innovation accelerators, to support the delivery of highly skilled jobs. This report with policy recommendations contains a set of key messages developed by the Pilots4U project with the aim to strengthen the European landscape of open-access infrastructure

Pilots4U Database of bioeconomy open access pilot and multipurpose demo facilities

Posted on by LIFT-Team

Pilots4U aimed to set up a network of open access pilot and multipurpose demo-infrastructures for the European bio-economy. Access to such open access infrastructures are the most cost-effective manner to support the deployment of industry-driven innovations in the bio-economy market.

The Pilots4U Database sets out to map all existing open access pilot and demo-infrastructures across Europe, with the aim of creating one, very visible and easily accessible network for the European bio-economy. It includes the following 10 technological bioeconomy disciplines: algae cultivation and harvesting, anaerobic digestion, chemical processing, industrial biotechnology, material technologies, mechanical separations, physicochemical separations, pre-treatment, pulping, thermochemical conversion.

URL:  https://biopilots4u.eu/database

SmartPilots Policy Recommendations 20190430

Posted on by LIFT Team

SmartPilots, an INTERREG Europe project, has brought together the six leading European Shared Pilot Facilities for the KET Industrial Biotechnology and their regional authorities. Based on the thorough analysis of the different business models of the facilities involved, the consortium proposes the following policy recommendations to support Bioeconomy piloting

SmartPilots Factsheets and Customer Survey Financial Instruments for Shared Pilots Facilities (SPF) in the Bioeconomy

Posted on by LIFT Team

As Shared Pilot Facilities for the Key Enabling Technology ‘Industrial Biotechnology’ speed up sustainable innovation, they are a crucial element in dealing with societal challenges such as developing a sustainable, innovative and knowledge-based economy in Europe, creating jobs and meeting climate targets.
Shared Pilot Facilities are open access research and demonstration facilities investing in a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art equipment and offering required expertise with the aim to help innovative companies scale-up their successful research to an actual industrial innovation (= Technology Readiness Level – TRL increase). Collaboration, in an early stage of innovation, with open access shared pilot facilities maintaining a high level of innovation capability, substantially lowers the financial risk for the innovating company and speeds up the commercialization of their new product or process. The long lead time associated with commercialization of novel industrial biotechnology processes causes many companies to fail. Shared Pilot Facilities help companies to bridge this ‘valley of death’ by reducing time, cost and risk substantially when scaling up innovations from lab scale to industrial scale.
Furthermore, Europe recognizes too much R&D is deployed outside of Europe. Funds for support of the demonstration phase of promising innovations in the field of industrial biotechnology / bio-economy, are available, but companies find it difficult to access these funds. Shared Pilot Facilities can help companies to access these funds.

Brochure about Social Acceptance: Developing a dialogue with your stakeholders

Posted on by LIFT Team

Many companies implementing emerging technologies encounter barriers or objections from consumers or local stakeholders. “Social acceptance” is the result of a process where stakeholders and project leaders work together to find solutions to these barriers and objections. It is important to be aware that the stakeholders affected by a new product or process go way beyond the SME’s customer base. Involving stakeholders in a series of activities to establish relationships is essential – there are tools for this. Tools will enable SMEs to achieve legitimacy and credibility regarding the stakeholder, form a strong and well-communicated company mission statement and clear long-term vision and set up long-term connections with their stakeholders, resulting in trust.

This guide takes you through the context and the theory behind the social acceptance concept. It addresses SME managers and business support organisations, presenting a number of tools which can be useful for those launching new products or services in the bio-based economy, and beyond.

The tools can be applied by SME managers in North West Europe, but there are the property of their authors (see references).