Companies
What is an innovation challenge?
“Without challenges, there is no innovation” We speak of the conscious search for both problems to be solved and the identification of opportunities for improvement within the company, the solution of both directly related to its competitiveness. In this way, the company can formulate the needs of today (problem) or anticipate the needs that will arise tomorrow (opportunities).
That is why challenges are the spark that initiates innovation processes, and it will be on their definition that solutions that can be exploited will grow. Identifying these challenges allows for greater awareness of what you want to learn and achieve in this process.
The innovation challenges related to the activity of the company require technical, creative and knowledge solutions always under the ability to integrate it into the company and turn it into an innovative instrument.
Generating the habit of challenging yourself guarantees improvement results, so we invite you to ask yourself when was the last time you propose a challenge and start a new one today.
The OPEN INNOVATION FORUM program has a document that will help you define your challenges with the most relevant information necessary to understand it and start preparing a proposal. Request this document at openinnovationforum@biocat.cat.
What is NOT considered a challenge?
Those needs that do not include the key component of innovation through knowledge and technology that can be generated by universities, research centers, technology centers or other innovation agents will not be considered a challenge.
Therefore, company internationalization plans or distribution plans would be examples of challenges that would remain outside the call, taking into account that there are other public agents that already offer these services.
Why innovate with Catalan research entities?
Business innovation increasingly requires an ecosystem of external collaborators to help it respond to increasingly sophisticated challenges. Our proposal is to choose the technical perspective of Catalan research organizations.
The universities, research centers and technology parks of Catalonia occupy the first positions among the research entities of the whole State and of Europe, with a scientific production of impact superior to the world-wide average and more concessions in investigation than France or Germany.
This means that if you decide to invest efforts in identifying and describing a challenge, you will have universities, research centers and technology parks working to give new solutions and ideas to your raised need.
Which are the benefits of participating in this project?
- Answers and solutions developed ad hoc based on the need expressed by you.
- Knowledge of a variety of different approaches and approaches to reach solutions.
- In the same day and space you will take to their organizations quality proposals, personalized and useful to improve their competitiveness.
- Find partners for future collaborative R&D projects.
- It is intended to offer further accompaniment for the development of the projects.
Which sectors are targeted?
The sectors included in the project, according to the RIS3CAT categorization, are: Life and Health Sciences, Food, Chemistry, Energy and Resources, Industrial Systems and Mobility..
- Food: Includes the agri-food industry and the entire value chain such as primary sectors, the packaging industry, machinery for food, additives and gastronomy.
- ife and Health Sciences: Fine chemistry, pharmaceutical preparations, medical technologies.
- Biotechnology.
- Logistics.
- Fine chemistry, pharmaceutical preparations, medical technologies.:new products, reductions in time, costs, energy and materials in the processes, increase the parameters of precision, quality, safety, waste management and reduction of environmental impact.
- Machinery, technology, equipment, robotics...
There sectors understood from their broadest sense:
How, when and whom I explain my challenge?
In order for companies to develop the description of the challenge, you have on this same website, a simple Form (Title and Description) that will serve as a guide to record all the basic information.
Understanding the difficulties that may arise in the identification and description of the challenge, the universities offer specialized accompaniment through interviews.
The challenge collection period is open throughout the program.
Is the confidentiality of my challenges guaranteed?
- The organization that will receive, will accompany and work on your challenges, formed only by assigned university staff, committed to treat this information with strict confidentiality. In order to regularize, the Solving organizations have adhered to the Confidentiality Commitments agreed upon by the organizers. The company may specifically agree with the Solvers dealing with its challenges to sign an additional confidentiality agreement if it deems it appropriate.
As a Company, can I launch more than one challenge?
Yes, it is possible. You just have to add another challenge in the same virtual profile of the company by filling out a new challenge description form.
What involvement does my company require?
It will be you who will decide who in your organization is involved in this process and if this reference changes in later phases. Even so, this project has been designed in such a way that the participation of companies does not involve a large investment of time.
Broadly speaking, the commitments to be made from companies will be:
Contact information (email and mobile phone) of the representatives attending on the day of the Meeting Event must be provided to the Organization, in order to be directly informed about the registration, agendas and last minute changes, if any. This information will not be publicly available on the website.
What can I do if I have signed up but no solutions have been presented to my challenge?
- The Organization will assess in each specific case the particular procedure to be followed. Please contact to the contact person of this same website.
If my company's activity is not within the sectors can I participate?
Yes, the Solvers available from different universities and research centers allow us to tackle the challenges of most business sectors.
Research Groups/ Solvers
What involvement do it require from my research group?
- Work on the solution-innovation proposal by the company (short summary) and send it through the platform.
- Request meetings to the companies with which you are interested in meeting.
- Attend the Bilateral Meeting Day where you can defend and give details of your solution proposal.
Contact information (email and mobile phone) of the representatives attending on the day of the Meeting Event must be provided to the Organization, in order to be directly informed about the registration, agendas and last minute changes, if any. This information will not be publicly available on the website.
It will be you who will decide who in your organization is involved in this process and if this reference changes in later phases. Even so, this project has been designed in such a way that the participation of companies does not involve a large investment of time.
Broadly speaking, the commitments to be made from companies will be:
As research groups, can we ask questions about the challenge to the company?
To make the solution proposals as careful and useful as possible, your OTRI has additional information on the challenges published on the website.
In addition, the web platform allows you to send specific queries to the people responsible for the challenges posted, by means of Send Message option in the profile of each participant.
As research group, which descriptive information should I record in my profile?
In the case of research groups, record relevant information about the group in your profile: Research Areas and Lines of Work, Services that can be offered, available equipment, member profiles, etc ...
When and how do I present the proposed solution to the challenges?
Solution proposals may be submitted through the platform at any time during the process
On the Home page you have a brief Solution Form to guide you in the content to present.
The proposal will have to be sent to the company throughout Send Message option and a Meeting Requestshould be also used.
The company will review the content of the proposal you present and accept the meeting to meet you on the day of the Day of bilateral meetings. The first of those Bilateral Meeting Events will be on July, 2021.
