New publication - Setting commercialisation objectives for sustainable innovation
The latest product of Britest's commitment to collaborative research and knowledge sharing has just been released in the form of a newly published technical paper in Paper Technology International, the journal of the Bioforests Products sector.
Written by Britest's Technical Services Director Rob Peeling, the paper explores the role of improving process understanding in identifying and mitigating the risks encountered in scale-up and commercialisation, and - using the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund supported LevWave project as a case study - describes a methodology for systematically capturing and developing process understanding to set objectives for continuing project development
A systematic tool for planning ongoing development objectives according to three key aspects of commercial viability: techno-economics, sustainability, and scale-up risk.
LevWave considered the feasibility of producing the platform chemical, levulinic acid, from a paper recycling byproduct stream in a continuous process using a solid-state catalyst and microwave heating. The methodology described provides project managers with a systematic tool for planning ongoing development objectives according to three key aspects of commercial viability: techno-economics, sustainability, and scale-up risk. together with support for decision making at project stage gates based on the degree of process understanding attained at the point of review.
Whilst the methodology has been demonstrated in the context of an innovation project, similar concerns face any new product or process introduction team, and there is every reason to believe the approach will have equivalent value in other situations.
Read/download An understanding-based methodology for setting commercialisation objectives for an innovation project - a case study for platform chemicals from paper sludge at Paper Technology International online.