|
We help innovation organizations strengthen the connection between research and real-world market needs by building lasting commercialization and industry engagement capabilities.
|
Tech Transfer Opportunities
|
The Challenge
HubTec of Santiago, Chile represented 11 leading Chilean universities with a mission to accelerate their R&D technology commercialization and industry collaboration.
Like many research organizations around the world, they faced a common challenge: world-class research capabilities existed, but translating those capabilities into commercial partnerships required a deeper understanding of industry needs and stronger market engagement processes.
HubTec of Santiago, Chile represented 11 leading Chilean universities with a mission to accelerate their R&D technology commercialization and industry collaboration.
Like many research organizations around the world, they faced a common challenge: world-class research capabilities existed, but translating those capabilities into commercial partnerships required a deeper understanding of industry needs and stronger market engagement processes.
Technologies
Focus:
Customer Segments:
- Agriculture
- BioScience
- Industrial
- Software / Engineering
- Marine Applications
Focus:
- University IP Commercialization
- Startups
- Business Development
- Revenue Generation
Customer Segments:
- Top 200 Companies in Chile
- US and International Markets
The problem
Researchers often begin with a technology. Industry begins with a business problem.
Closing that gap requires more than technology transfer. It requires:
Closing that gap requires more than technology transfer. It requires:
- systematic market discovery
- stronger engagement with industry
- organizational change that embeds customer insight into commercialization activities.
Randy's role
I worked alongside leadership to strengthen commercialization capability by:
- introducing structured market validation practices
- coaching researchers and commercialization professionals, and,
- helping teams make evidence-based decisions about industry needs before investing additional time and resources.
The Process
The process involved a series of coaching sessions for the business development team to learn about practical business skills and customer discovery interviewing - for each member to speak to industry stakeholders and partners, learn about their business and position HubTec to respond to their needs.
Processes were established to streamline communications, share knowledge and set expectations.
A new pricing model was aligned to meet industry procurement and budgeting.
The business development team learned about how to position HubTec's R&D capabilities to the Customers' Journey.
Processes were established to streamline communications, share knowledge and set expectations.
A new pricing model was aligned to meet industry procurement and budgeting.
The business development team learned about how to position HubTec's R&D capabilities to the Customers' Journey.
Impact
Organizational Capability
Commercialization
Ecosystem Development
Revenue Generation
- Built internal capacity for evidence-based commercialization
- Created repeatable approaches to engaging industry
- Increased confidence in customer-facing conversations
Commercialization
- Improved understanding of market demand
- Identified stronger commercialization opportunities
- Reduced assumptions about customer needs
Ecosystem Development
- Strengthened collaboration between universities and industry
- Supported technology transfer professionals with practical tools
- Helped shift the culture toward market-informed innovation
Revenue Generation
- Quickly identified and qualified "ideal customers" and implemented targeted marketing and sales outreach.
- Quarterly revenue jumped by 25%,
- Revenues doubled from the previous year.
why this matters
Innovation ecosystems around the world face remarkably similar challenges.
Whether in the US, Canada, Chile, Europe, or elsewhere, research organizations must answer the same questions:
This engagement demonstrated that customer discovery is a strategic capability for research organizations seeking to maximize the impact of publicly-funded innovation.
Whether in the US, Canada, Chile, Europe, or elsewhere, research organizations must answer the same questions:
- How do we engage industry earlier?
- How do we validate market demand?
- How do we improve commercialization outcomes?
- How do we help researchers think more like innovators?
- How do we build repeatable organizational capability rather than relying on individual champions?
This engagement demonstrated that customer discovery is a strategic capability for research organizations seeking to maximize the impact of publicly-funded innovation.