From Outputs to Outcomes: A CoDiet Exploitation Session in Cork, Ireland
I am the Exploitation Manager for CoDiet. My role is to ensure that research outputs have “real-world application”. In other words, it’s about ensuring that the knowledge and outputs generated by EU-funded projects don’t just stay on paper but are actively applied in ways that benefit people, businesses and society. Results can be exploited for commercial purposes (e.g. new technologies, startups) or non-commercial purposes (e.g. informing public policy, tackling societal challenges).
Last week, I held an Exploitation Workshop on Business Case Development at Teagasc in Ireland. The purpose of the session was to showcase to researchers the importance of a business case, what a good business case looks like and how to write one that demonstrates impact (connects research outputs to real-world benefits – both commercial and social). In a dragon-style exercise, we had researchers pick apart a business case study and adapt it to be a structured road map tackling the hard questions and analysing the associated risks in their exploitation strategy. This exercise enabled participants to be analytical and strategic when navigating exploitation, but most importantly, how to allocate resources, prioritise and communicate in a way that resonates with a range of audiences.
Some of the feedback included: “It was great to think differently about the work I am doing and how it has exploitable potential”.
Thank you to the Teagasc team and Prof. Orla O’Sullivan for championing exploitation!
Guest Authors
