Welcome to TechPilot Innovation Consultancy

Why do many Sustainable innovation projects fail?

Why do Sustainability-driven projects take too long to reach commercialization?

Willem van Liemt, TechPilot Innovation Consultancy

Bringing more than 25 years experience in Product Innovation and commercialisation, I have built a track record of bringing new products to the market. My experience covers many application areas, like fast moving consumer goods, adhesives, plastics and insulation technology. Although these  markets and technologies are quite different in detail, there are many commonalities in succesful projects and launches. Likewise, there are many common factors between project failures.

Figure - Application verification is essential in early product development

Succesful projects benefit from a common view of product value at supplier and customer, requiring a strong collaboration between commercial partners of complementary strengths. ablishing a level of trust between partners, respecting each others expertise but being able to critically review each others inventions in terms of joint market success, is absolutely vital. This requires a shared strategic view of the role of each partner in the project.

TechPilot Innovation Consultancy supports innovations, both on the execution/value assesment level, as well as by assessing the strategivcal technical core competencies of companies, in order to develop lasting strategic partnerships.

For more information on the TechPilot Innovation methodology, please choose your specific area of interest below.

One of the most important drivers for innovation project succes is in a proper understanding of the true and realistic value of a new product application, as viewed by the prospective customer. It is absolutely essential that an initial generic assessment of a product value is followed up by a real customer-based verification. What are implications of inserting the new solution in a full formulation or  product assembly? Are there knock-on effects or complications for the customer?

Figure - Understanding your company's Core Technology strength, in Application Knowledge, Product knowledge and Process knowledge is key to creating partnerships for product innovation

Figure - Sustainability credentials ore not to be confused with Market Value, just like Planet & People are not the same as Profit.

Secondly, sustainability-driven projects are more often at risk, as inventors or suppliers often confuse the "society benefits" with true customer value. However, very often the customer has only a limited possibility to recap financial value from the societal benefit. Hence, the "profit" element of "people, planet, profit" is fatally absent.