WP9 Innovation management and business planning

This task will develop a project-specific innovation management approach and plan, based on innovation/exploitation theory and process concepts as relevant for EcoScope. It provides for both (a) a conceptual framework for all partners to work towards the outcome of this project, namely an interoperable platform, a robust decision toolbox and an online academy to promote an efficient, ecosystem-based approach to the management of fisheries, and (b) a process to follow in all project work concerned with business case development, business planning, and preparation for market introduction. It will assure a focused innovation pathway, including designing business models and preparing business plans for each of the technologies based on market analysis (Task 9.2) and Intellectual Property Rights management.

In this task, we will focus on exploring business cases for the EcoScope services within the context of identified use cases, following a combined PESTEL (Political-Economic-Social-Technological-Environmental-Legal-Ethical) and SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis. It is focused on identifying the political, legal, economic, social, technological and environmental factors that can act as barriers and enablers of technologies. Therefore, the goal of the task is to define business cases for the EcoScope services that can be provided to various customers, such as commercial firms, research institutes and consultancy firms. This will start with initial desk research to make an analysis of the value proposition, followed by building a business canvas, to map the enabling environment for each business case and the actors in the value chain. This preliminary ‘business case’ will be further enhanced through interviews with market actors. It will provide a full understanding of the current business environment and insights into the needs of current customers. We will then progress towards an improved understanding for each business case by introducing the new business models, new finance instruments, market research (Task 9.3) and new tools emerging from WPs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Based on the analysis of the business cases, innovative business models will be designed for each of the selected products and services. For each product or service, the first phase of business model development is to fully understand any current business model from the nature of the solution to the role of public and private actors in governance, through financing feasibility. Agora (participant 21 – Agora) will organize a workshop bringing together key staff from the organisation and stakeholders, including financial players and policy makers, who can collectively contribute to the process. As part of the process, a review of the market environment, a competitive analysis of existing services for sustainable fisheries and a strategic SWOT analysis will be conducted. For each product or service, we will define the questions and assumptions that need to be tested to validate the business model and value proposition, including: (a) the relevance and value of the proposed product/service to potential customers; (b) key resources and partners which will underpin the ability to deliver the new business model; (c) channels and partners required to sell and deliver value to customers; and (d) financial elements (costs and revenues). As a novel and valuable contribution, we will also facilitate the feasibility of investment in those innovative business models. At the end of this validation process, we will have insights on key barriers and drivers identified for implementing innovative business models that will be the base for developing tailored business plans for each EcoScope product or service. Based on these analyses financial projections can be made for estimating the global revenues from services that will secure the long-term sustainability of the project.

In the overall context of the project-specific innovation management process, building upon a common understanding of business models, entrepreneurship and the outcomes of the demonstrative case studies, a comprehensive exploitation strategy and business planning process will be developed. It will involve all partners and reflect their common, as well as proprietary interests in outcomes which are sustainable and successful, globally in markets for services related to fisheries management in the ecosystem context. This will include one strategic business plans per case including market analysis (market size, competitors’ analysis), IPR landscape, SWOT, PESTEL and “Porter’s Five Forces” type of analysis; and framework agreements between technology suppliers and relevant parties (e.g. end-users, as well as investors for follow-up funding etc). It will involve integrating project outcomes from other WPs into a comprehensive exploitation strategy, including identifying relevant market(s), most promising customers, and core business case(s), modelling the prospective business development, and developing coherent business plans. Based upon the market exploitation plans, business plans for the EcoScope services will be developed. The Consortium will analyse different options of legal entities through which the Beneficiaries could jointly continue to sustainably operate and maintain the EcoScope services after the funding phase. As part of this, the Consortium will analyse the terms and conditions that will govern the relationship among the Beneficiaries under a legal entity for long-term operation of EcoScopium portal, sustainability aspects of branding and trademark. In parallel, the Consortium will review the individual exploitation intentions and claims of each partner through a MULO (Making and selling an output; Using to produce another output; Licensing to third parties; and providing Other services) exercise. This exercise will highlight the value-added benefits generated by EcoScope, besides the user products described above. The individual exploitation claims will inform the development of the joint exploitation plan for a possible future legal entity which will keep operating the platform, products and services when the EcoScope project will end.

The Innovation Board’s activities (see Section 3.2.5) in this task will be to ensure that Intellectual Property (IP) is identified as it is created. All IP is assessed by the Project Executive Board (PEB; see Section 3.2.4); protected, as appropriate, and subject to the considerations and decisions of the owning party, before any public disclosure. Each idea/ project result will initially be assessed by the Innovation Board, making recommendations to the PEB concerning the need/strategy for protection of each output. Special emphasis will be put on designing appropriate technology transfer arrangements to facilitate access of the novel technology to additional technology and service providers especially SME’s. The Innovation Board will advise on the appropriate IP protection strategy to allow such technology transfer arrangements. The Innovation Board will make periodic reports to all partners on the activities/outcomes/decisions arising from this task. Pre-existing IP will be shared, if required. Open source license / open access is the guiding principle for the platform and toolbox.