About the Institute | Research | Services | Members

services

• Introduction
• Matchmaking
• Knowledge network
• Idea generation
• R&D projects
• Project Hotel
• Technology transfer
• Professional networks
• Courses
• Dissemination of research
• Consultancy services
• Marketing
• Promotion of trade
• Job service
• The Entrepreneur Academy

Idea generation

Knowledge of the latest research or technology within an area can often provide inspiration for new products and services and thus new business opportunities.

The development of “IT in everything”, pervasive computing, does not make this less important as a wealth of new business opportunities in the wake of this development will arise – just as existing business models often have to be revised. For example when is it more profitable to give away intelligent radiator thermostats to the consumers and instead make a business out of selling services such as energy control?

The Alexandra Institute offers to help its members identify possible new products by organising an idea generation process resulting in one or more product ideas. Such a process will typically comprise:

• Initial meetings
  Here it is clarified whether there is a basis for a further collaboration.
• Matchmaking
  The Institute identifies possible collaborators in the research environments and/or other companies.
• Workshops
  One or more workshops with participation of the involved companies and researchers. The contents of a workshop will typically comprise:
  • Presentation of the company including the problems and initial ideas for new products.
    Presentations from researchers of new knowledge and technologies that can inspire the company.
  • Identification of one or more product ideas, which could be interesting for the company.
    Identification of need for research, technology, business or inter-disciplinary competencies.
  • Identification of a potential joint public/private research and development project.
  • Preparation of a project specification describing the results of the process.
• Vision video
  Production of a vision video presenting the new product idea in the Centre for Advanced Visualisation and Interaction (CAVI).

For members of the Alexandra Institute the process is usually free of charge depending on the number and the extent – however a potential vision video is not included and here you are required to pay for the use of equipment and staff. Non-members pay for the full service.