Profile: Smart Transformation!
Duncan Botting, managing director of Global Smart Transformation Ltd, explains why it has always been a major challenge to turn innovative ideas that stem from creative research into market-ready products.
Delivering innovation from creative research to commercial realisation has always been a challenge. The belief that there is a formulaic approach to this process that will ensure success has been the substance of many books and events. The truth is somewhat more complex and has more to do with timing and good luck than many believe. There is, however, always opportunity to stack the odds in your favour by combining knowledge of the various disciplines and processes with a deep understanding of how market sectors work; I mean really work.
The European framework programmes have, for years, tried to stimulate innovative research outcomes into tangible SME success stories. In reality much of the opportunity is stacked in the large corporate’s favour providing little chance for really new innovative start-ups or existing SMEs to shine. Global Smart Transformation (GST) Limited has focused on working with large corporate companies, academia, governments, institutions and SMEs to really focus on the strengths of the supply chain. As its name implies it works in the arenas of Smart Intelligence applied to old problem areas; Smart Cities and Smart Grids, for example. Interestingly, it is amazing how the alignment of Horizon 2020, the austerity measures, the technological transformation of old sectors (such as electricity) and the need for economic growth have provided unique opportunities for the deployment of innovative solutions that would not have been considered before. New business models are being sought while large corporates find it difficult to respond to fast changing environments, SMEs are very well placed.
Some very well-known European stakeholders have been helped by the insights that GST’s experience is able to provide while working with every part of the normal supply chain challenges to convert innovative research into commercially valuable assets. From leveraged funding to procurement bottlenecks the issue is normally left to the dissemination events or the project partners to ensure commercial success. This delivers at best, very predictable outcomes and less than inspiring results considering the large amount of public and private money that is usually sunk into these projects. If providing learning and networking opportunities is all that is achieved, this is a major failure.
GST is working across sectors in cities and with SMEs to demonstrate the very innovative and commercially savvy applications that require multiple products and services to be combined with new business models and commercial constructs (new contracts, new procurement methods, new regulation, new policy instruments, etc). These are very complex and expensive projects to organise but large scale implementations give large returns to the winners. Investors like people who understand this capability. Europe lacks investible projects, especially those that have high risk innovation with high return opportunities. He who dares wins…
Horizon 2020 is more focused on outputs than inputs, SMEs rather than major corporates and innovation to commercial success than ever before. Innovation is seen as the driver of growth. GST has a wealth of experience and an enviable track record of delivering transformational results. We look forward to working with new project partners in the Horizon 2020 project to focus on commercial outcomes rather than allow interesting research to languish on the dissemination circuits of Europe. If you are a governmental department, an SME, a research partner or an academic organisation with a focus on making things happen in the real world, GST knows how to make things happen and get results. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you on a results orientated project delivery.
Duncan Botting
Managing Director
Global Smart Transformation Ltd
+44 1651 851019
