Companies usually know when something needs to change. A production process may use too much
energy, valuable materials may be going to waste, or an existing service may no longer meet people’s
needs. Turning such a practical problem into a clear innovation challenge that researchers can understand
and address is often more difficult.
BEAGLE was designed to make this connection easier. The project first invited companies and industry
professionals to describe the challenges and opportunities they encounter in their work. Researchers could
then use this information to propose relevant knowledge, technologies and possible solutions.
CTBG’s Contribution: Making Industry Needs Clearer
CleanTech Bulgaria coordinated the stage focused on identifying and structuring the needs of industry.
We developed a practical approach combining Blue Ocean Strategy with the System Innovation Canvas.
Blue Ocean Strategy encouraged participants to look beyond familiar solutions and existing markets. The
canvas helped them map the problem, the people affected by it, the market need and possible new
directions for innovation.
The purpose was not to ask companies to arrive with fully developed project ideas. Instead, the process
helped them examine their initial challenges, discuss them with others and describe them in a way that
could later be understood by researchers from different sectors and countries.
From Workshop Discussions to Video-Factsheets
The approach was applied through a series of online workshop sessions. Industry participants worked in
small groups and were guided through discussions, opportunity mapping and feedback. This helped them
move from general statements to clearer descriptions of the problem, why it mattered and where new
value might be created.
Working together with the project partners and facilitators, CTBG coordinated the process through which
the selected industry opportunities were developed into 60 short video-factsheets.
The video format made the information easier to explore than a collection of long technical documents.
Each video-factsheet presented an industry need in a concise and accessible way, giving researchers a
starting point for considering how their expertise could contribute.
What Happened Next?
The 60 industry video-factsheets were made available through the BEAGLE Marketplace and used as the
basis for the project’s next stage. Researchers were invited to present possible solutions, after which the
industry needs and academic proposals were compared and discussed.
This process resulted in 40 promising connections between companies and researchers. Twenty of these collaborations are now being developed further through Action Plans that set out possible next steps, forms of cooperation and funding opportunities.
What We Learned
One of the main lessons for CTBG is that finding the right solution often begins with formulating the
right question. Companies and researchers may have relevant experience and knowledge, but they still
need a clear process and careful facilitation to understand where their interests meet.
The work carried out in BEAGLE provides a practical example of how an initial business challenge can
gradually become a concrete opportunity for collaboration. This approach can also be adapted by clusters,
universities and other organisations working to connect research with real industry needs.
Authors: CleanTech Bulgaria team