How do you combine Innovation, Applied Research, and Entrepreneurship?
A duo interview between Dr Yanjuan Chen, imπACT fellow, and coach and Professor Thomas Crispeels (VUB BUDA team).
Just before the Easter holidays, we got a chance to meet Dr Yanjuan Chen and Prof Thomas Crispeels for a short but in-depth interview that we are happy to share with you. Below you will find the answers on how they see opportunities to enhance the entrepreneurial spirit and attitude at VUB.
Thomas, how can the imπACT fellows generate impact based on their research?
“That is a simple question with a very complicated answer. I think the first job is to make fellows think about who their customers or users are? Who will actually use or implement the research results generated?
In this particular setting, it is even more complicated because we have a lot of imπACT fellows belonging to SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities). Translating research results to society in this domain, making sure people benefit from them, is less straightforward than if you have results or intellectual property right that can be immediately transferred to companies. And that, in itself, is already a complicated job. Nonetheless, there is for instance a lot of innovation in law, in migration practices or in coastal management… that can benefit society.
However, the real challenge in these cases is to find who will be using these results and who is responsible for putting them into practice. Often, several companies, NGOs, investors and government agencies have to team up to change the reality based on the fellow’s research results.
To start working on that, the fellows have to look into which ecosystem they are operating.
Let’s take the example of Yanjuan’s solution. If you want to commercialize a new type of 3D printing concrete and want it to be used, you need to look at the building companies, but also at the subcontractors, architects, owners… How do they work? Who are the companies providing the 3D printers. Yanjuan needs to fully map the ecosystem she will be working in.
Once the fellow identified a potential user or customer (group) in that ecosystem, they have to explain how their solutions solves a real problem for them.
For instance, looking into Yanjuan’s research project, she developed a new formula of 3D concrete printing and, as such, she will have to interact with the companies developing 3D concrete printers. She will have to explain the clear gains her solution brings and how exactly her solution will benefit them. But you need to think further, as other parties down the line (architects, contractors, owners, builders…) each have their own expectations that need to be met. And Yanjuan’s solution must meet them all.
For most of the imπACT fellows, this translation step requires a real shift in thinking, and it is easier explained than done. It is exactly at this point that BUDA steps in and that we use our course modules and coaching practices to force them to think about it.“
Yanjuan, how did you prepare your research impact towards a value proposition?
“I asked myself the question: What can I offer? My offer is a 3D printing concrete. More specifically by using a novel concept for guiding the mix design of 3D Printing concrete (PC) with a low-carbon recipe +3DPC.
My next question was: Why would you buy from me? Well, I can make the mixture, inspect its properties, and evaluate its performances for the 3D PC. So, I tried to define my unique selling proposition (USP) and why customers would choose me. With my developments, I could phase it more quickly compared to others and with a huge environmental friendly touch. My strength lies in the fact that I am using by-products and not cement compared to competitors. For the printing mixture, I developed alkaline-activated slag. The binder of the 3D PC is 100% blast furnace slag + activating solution (K-silicate). The ground granulated blast-furnace slag is a by-product of iron in blast-furnace. Thus, the mixtures we developed are not only good for printability but also environmentally friendly.”
Thomas, how do you develop the business case further? What are the main building blocks?
“The next step in developing a full business or impact case requires that the imπACT fellows develop their Value Proposition, as this forms the heart of your case.
Basically, you need to match your customer’s expectations with your offering. You need to solve a real problem with your solution.”
Yanjuan, what were the potential customers for your end-product?
”I am specialized in civil engineering materials and, consequently, my 3DPC can be used in construction, building, road foundations of bridges, etc. Thomas encouraged me to look also into other customers. As I am not familiar with the market of 3DPC, nor do I know who is in charge of construction works, I do not know how the real market is running and hope Thomas can help me in scanning the potential market for my printed concrete made of 100% activated solution slag as a binder.”
Thomas, how can you find a problem-solution fit?
“There are many ways to discover a problem-solution fit and come to your value proposition. You can look at gains the customers are looking for. What are their current problems? How can I make my customer’s current job easier or have them perform it better? At the same time, you have to ask yourself of this matches with what you can deliver.
And then, you have to formulate your offering very explicitly and explain it to your customer. If you cannot formulate this, preferably in a quantified way, you do not have a basis to start. This is the heart of every company or project.“
…How do you analyse these?
”We asked the imπACT fellows: Put yourself in the place of the users, of government officials, what are they looking for? Do they have pains or are they looking for additional gains or revenues?
Only by understanding the customer fully and in detail, you will be able to formulate your own value proposition. And the only way to do this is by talking to your customer! You need to discover what they are looking for. Will they spend money on my solution? You need to fully understand the other side. At BUDA we provide a number of tools and courses to support this exercise. We teach you how to identify your most important customers, how to question them and map their requirements in a structured and quantified way.
Example: Yanjuan would like to use her new concrete formulation to print fun structures on children’s playgrounds.
The first assignment for her is to uncover how such structures are planned and paid for?
“Someone” decides to build a playground.
- Who is taking this decision? The region, the local government, the school, the parent committee?
- Do they have a budget? Where does the budget come from? Parent committees are organising fancy fairs, quizzes and raffles to collect money so they can improve school infrastructure. What are they looking for? Will they spend this money on your solution?
- Who will decide where to put the playground?
- Who else is involved once the decision is taken? Who will decide on which materials and construction techniques will be used?
So Yanjuan very quickly identified several stakeholders along the way who will decide to use the 3D CP (her product). From this, she can discover which material catalogues are relevant to her, which subcontractors are able to work with her material…
The next step of course is than to analyse the aspects of market size, profitability… which we still need to address to build a business case for the construction of playground structures.
And can you imagine the multitude of applications for Yanjuan’s material. Maybe it can solve crucial issues I constructing skyscrapers, underwater structures, extra-terrestrial bases; Yanjuan will have to look into all these options select the best one? It is not an easy job, it involves a lot of trial-and-error and a lot of detective skills.
And can you imagine how complex things become when we want to solve the migration crisis, improve the Mediterranean coastal management system or alter the diet of patients in intensive care like some of our fellows are trying?
Yanjuan, how was your elevator pitch to potential investors? What feedback did you receive from Thomas?
“Preparing my pitch was very challenging. Not so much the technical aspects, but the marketing characteristics, which were quite a task for me. Thomas asked a lot of questions, it was a very interactive discussion. It was through Thomas that I could set forward the phasing advantages of the 3DPC. As an example, he suggested to consider more the implementation, the execution phase where a lot of problems could occur. Hereto he recommended to draw a visualized process flow (including all the different steps) in a clear and practical way. Moreover, he also suggested looking into the Sustainable, Development Goals (SDGs) and integrating the fact that we also take care of the planet. The important feedback from Thomas was that I need to integrate my USP into a global picture which is environmentally friendly. This means achieving low carbon emission or zero carbon emission. By using waste (here slag for my 3DPC), I am taking part in the circular economy.
Yanjuan, finally, what are the next steps?
“Currently, Thomas is setting up a coaching one-to-one interview in May with all the imπACT fellows.
In the next Get Together, we would set up a mock-up buying session, simulating on how to buy and sell our USP. On the last Get Together workshop we will then present our USP to the investors.“