Exploitation strategy and innovation consultants (ESIC) services for NMP projects.
Date: 2014-05-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: Framework Programme for Research and Development, applied research, industrial production, industrial research, innovation, materials technology, nanotechnology, research and development, research policy, research project

EXPLOITATION STRATEGY 
AND INNOVATION CONSULTANTS 
(ESIC) SERVICES FOR NMP PROJECTS

Research and 
innovation

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Directorate D — Key Enabling Technologies
Unit D.1 — Strategy
Email: RTD-NMP-ESIC@ec.europa.eu

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

EXPLOITATION STRATEGY 
AND INNOVATION CONSULTANTS 
(ESIC) SERVICES FOR NMP 
PROJECTS

2014 

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

Key Enabling Technologies (NMPB)

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Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2014

ISBN 978-92-79-35491-5
doi: 10.2777/62178

© European Union, 2014
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Cover page image source: © Stauke, #57613598, 2014. Source: Fotolia

Exploitation  Strategy  and  Innovation  Consultants  (ESIC) 
is an initiative of the European Commission’s DG Research and 
Innovation to support projects in the Key Enabling Technologies 
(NMP1) in addressing non-technological exploitation issues and to 
enhance the positive impact of projects in terms of exploitation 
and innovation through tailored assistance to projects

WHY?
Non-technological risks (knowledge of the market, skills 
to handle Intellectual Property Right (IPR) issues, financial 
issues,  regulatory  environment,  etc.)  prevent  research 
results from making it to the market. ESIC services aim 
to  bridge  the  gap  between  research  results  and 
exploitation.

WHAT?
ESIC covers the following services:

•	 Project Risk Analysis (PRA)

•	 Exploitation Strategy Seminars (ESS)

•	 Business Plan Development (BPD)

•	 Assistance for Patenting

•	 Assistance for Standardisation

•	 Ad hoc services, e.g. attending a project meeting

1  Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials and Advanced Manufacturing 

and Processing.

3

These  services  are  provided  by  Innovation  experts  who  work 
under  a  strict  confidentiality  agreement  and  use  only  the 
information provided by the project.

Project consortium can ask more than one service.

WHEN?
Starting  from  the  negotiation  phase/first  few  months 
of the project and then at any time during the project’s 
life.

HOW?
•	 Project  Officer  (PO)  informs  projects  about  ESIC 

services.

•	 Project agrees on type(s) of services to be requested 

within the partnership and with the PO.

•	 Coordinator sends an email requesting the service to 

RTD-NMP-ESIC@ec.europa.eu

COSTS?
•	 Services are free for the projects (except attendance 

cost for the participants)

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Main types of services

 ▶ Project Risk Analysis (PRA)

Objective: to identify risks and potential obstacles that might 
prevent the project’s results being exploited in the future.

The appointed expert makes the assessment and identifies:

•	 The results that the partners are willing to exploit;

•	 The form(s) that the exploitation of these results may take;

•	 The conditions needed to enable the results to be exploited.

5

 ▶ Exploitation Strategy Seminars (ESS)

Objective: 

•	 To  brainstorm  on  how  the  project  should  address 

exploitation opportunities;

•	 To  identify  non-technical  factors  which  could  cause  risks 
and  potential  obstacles  that  the  future  results  of  the 
project would remain unexploited;

•	 To enhance the team’s awareness of intellectual property 

rights (IPRs) and standardisation.

This  service  provides  with  an  eight-hour  seminar  where  the 
appointed expert acts as a facilitator, makes the participants 
in the project aware of the identified risk factors and initiates 
a discussion aiming at developing an exploitation strategy

After  the  ESS,  a  report  summarising  the  results  of  the 
seminar and a draft PUDF (Plan for Using and Disseminating 
the  Foreground)  are  prepared  for  the  benefit  of  the  project’s 
partners and the PO.

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Process:

•	

INPUTS (collected from consortium by the expert)

 ‣ Project details
 ‣ Typology of exploitable results
 ‣ Risk priority map
 ‣ Ground identification
 ‣ Contribution-benefits matrix

Preliminary report prepared by the expert + 
seminar

•	 OUTPUTS (prepared by the expert)

 ‣ Final ESS report including an Action Plan and 

recommendations

 ‣ PUDF
 ‣ Documentary search

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 ▶ Business Plan Development (BPD)

Objective: to assist partners in developing a business plan for 
exploiting their results, including solutions for financing needs.

Through  the  BPD  service,  ESIC  helps  projects  to  develop 
a complete business plan, from the drafting phase, including 
solutions  for  financing  needs  and  coaching  on  how  to 
successfully  present  the  business  idea  and  negotiate  with 
potential investors.

Process: 

•	 Basic service:

 ‣ Acquisition of project data, information package and 

eventual business plan

 ‣ Use of AIR© online self-assessment tool by the project 

coordinator

 ‣ Preparation of a ‘supporting plan’ for project partners
 ‣ Organisation of and participation in a BPD meeting
 ‣ Preparation of report with recommendations and 

conclusions

•	 Full Service (basic plus the following):

 ‣ Intermediate submission of AIR© by the project 

coordinator

 ‣ Intermediate meeting for verifying the development of 

the business plan

 ‣ Final submission of AIR© by the project coordinator
 ‣ Final meeting and simulation of a speech to investors
 ‣ Preparation of a final report with recommendations 

and conclusions

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 ▶ Assistance for patenting

Objective: to support partners in the writing, filing and legal 
follow-up of patents.

The patenting process is a critical point for the exploitation of 
research results. It can be crucial for turning innovative ideas 
and inventions into competitive products/services.

Because  of  its  importance,  patenting  requires  specific  skills 
and expertise which are not always mastered by researchers 
and companies.

The  appointed  expert  analyses  all  the  patenting  issues  that 
arise.

9

 ▶ Assistance for standardisation

Objective: to help project partners to tackle standardisation 
issues.  Standardisation  can  be  a  complex  process  if  you  are 
not familiar with it.

Standards  are  a  key  issue  for  business.  They  are  crucial  for 
facilitating  trade  and  hence  have  high  visibility  among 
manufacturers.

The  appointed  expert  analyses  the  results  relevant  for 
standardisation,  defines  a  strategy, 
relevant 
technical  committees  and  assists  the  project  partner(s)  in 
drafting documents.

identifies 

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 ▶ Ad hoc services

Objective: Support for any other exploitation-related activities 
(participation in project meetings, feasibility studies, etc.).

Process (patenting, standardisation, ad hoc services)

 ‣ Examination of the information package by the 

appointed expert

 ‣ Meeting with the project partners
 ‣ Further meetings (depending on the scale of the 

project)

 ‣ Synthesis report and an action plan with 

recommendations and suggestions by the appointed 
expert

information,  visit  the 

For  more 
Industrial  technologies 
Innovation  Platform:  http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_
t e c h n olo g ie s /a ss e ss m e n t-a n d - e x ploit at io n _ e n . h t m l 
or contact RTD-NMP-ESIC@ec.europa.eu

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Other networks and supports 
for Innovation

The NMP National Contact Points (NCPs) network is the 
main  provider  of  FP  advice  and  individual  assistance 
in  all  Member  States.  The  NMP  TeAm  2  project  aims 
at  assisting  the  NMP  NCP  Network,  which  includes  tools  such 
as a partner search system and information about events and 
projects. For more information, visit the website:
http://www.nmpteam.com/

Enterprise  Europe  Network  helps  small  companies 
seize  business  to  the  opportunities  in  the  EU  Single 
Market  and  beyond.  It  can  help  to  find  appropriate 
SME partners for a consortium or support SMEs to be involved in 
a consortium. For more information, visit the website:
http://een.ec.europa.eu

The  European  IPR  Helpdesk  assists  potential  and 
current contractors on intellectual property rights (IPR) 
issues  including  Community  diffusion  and  protection  rules.  For 
more information, visit the website https://www.iprhelpdesk.eu/

ESP@CENET  is  an  instrument  to  conduct  Patent 
information  centres 
information  search.  Patent 
(PATLIB),  supported  by  the  European  Patent  Office,  can  offer 
practical  assistance  on  different  kinds  of  intellectual  property 
rights (IPRs). For more information, visit the website: 
http://www.epo.org/searching.html

CEN-Cenelec  has  created  a  research 
helpdesk to whom applicants can benefit from and contribute to 
standardization, and published a Guide for FP7 project proposers. 
For more information, contact research@cencenelec.eu

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