Introduction
The project is conducted within the framework of the Innovation Booster (IB) Sport and Physical Activity (powered by Innosuisse), which aims to bring together businesses, academics and sport organisations around a specific challenge in order to find innovative ideas to solve it and to define projects that can be implemented in collaboration. It aims to provide the companies involved with competitive advantages through cooperation with partners and the integration of knowledge, skills and technologies from the universities, and to generate value in Switzerland.
In order to do so, the IB operates in a spirit of open innovation. Open innovation is “the use of purposive inflows and outflows of knowledge to accelerate internal innovation, and expand the markets for external use of innovation, respectively”. This means encouraging the sharing of knowledge among complementary sectors (academic, private and organisational) to create value.
Process
The Innovation Booster Sport & Physical Activity is made of 4 phases: (1) Topic definition, (2) Sprint, (3) Test and (4) Post-Booster.
(1) The Topic Definition phase has no limit in terms of duration but should ideally be kept within a reasonable time frame so that all 4 phases can take place within a timeframe of about 1,5 years. The different topics (5 or 6 each year) can be submitted in different ways: by direct contact with one of the consortium members or via an open call. There are two types of open call. One is a call for challenges and the other one is a call for participants.
During the Open Call for challenges, challenges can be submitted on the Platform by anyone who has a sport-related challenge. Once submitted, the challenge is discussed and evaluated according to criterias between the members of the Consortium. A Theme Leader, usually the person or entity who submitted the challenge is appointed.
An entry fee (7’500.-) to participate in the Innovation Booster need to be paid by the Theme Leader before the sprint happens.
If a challenge is worth pursuing (see ntn.thinksport.org/about-us), it will be submitted to the steering committee which will give its consent or not to continue with the organisation of a sprint.
Once the challenge is confirmed, an Open Call for participants from all sectors (academic, private, public, etc.) is made. A small description of the project is uploaded on the platform with dates for the sprint and interested persons can register for one or more challenges to solve. The choice of candidates will depend on their profile, expertise and the places available (around 10 participants per sprint) with the aim of finding complementary profiles. No justification for the choice of participants will be made by the consortium members, but an e-mail regarding the status of each participant will be sent to them. The team members are formed according to their individual interests and can evolve throughout the duration of the project. Members are not contractually bound to the consortium. A Mutual Confidentiality Agreement is signed by all participants and all participants in the ideation session are considered co-authors.
(2) During the sprint, the challenge is explained, and experts can give additional point of view on the subject. Afterward, one or several ideation sessions, led by a facilitator, take place to tackle the problem. Teams will move from an open phase (openness, development of new ideas within the team) to a closed phase (enrichment, selection of ideas, feedback from experts within the team and experts selected). During this phase, all ideas are confidential, including those that are not selected. An agreement will be made among the participants if some of the unsuccessful ideas are to be further researched outside the Innovation Booster framework.
Once the two best ideas are selected by the team members (Theme Leader, consortium, experts and participants), and an action plan for the testing phases is detailed (for example: which key elements do we must test and validate, what are the top priorities and what is the threshold at which an idea has the potential to go further). The aim is to verify the feasibility and applicability of the innovation ideas by testing those key elements.
(3) Then, the relevant laboratories, survey/test institutes are contacted in order to establish various quotes.
The quotes are then evaluated by the consortium members and the necessary funds are released (around 30,000 CHF to be distributed among different ideas selected per challenge/theme). The consortium reserves the right to refuse to release the funds if a quote is deemed irrelevant, dubious or used for other purposes than responding to the challenge.
(4) After the test phase, the team has several options: to continue the project on its own (by carrying out further tests, moving towards a commercial phase, other), to submit an Innosuisse project or to abandon the project.
Support will be provided for submitting an Innosuisse project. In case of other outcomes, guidance in the list of next steps will be provided. Afterwards, members are free to dispose of the project/idea as they wish.
With regard to intellectual property, the relevant aspects will be dealt with in due course and in the event that an element/concept/design can be protected. It will be up to the team members to define who wishes to protect which element and to what extent. In addition, searches for similar patents will be the responsibility of the team members. Consortium members, as observers/organisers/facilitators, will not be able to claim protection for any idea from the sprint nor be considered as co-authors.
After a period of time of 3 months (which can be extended to a maximum of 1 year), ideas that were not selected will be published online under free and open-source licenses and principles, with all team members being duly credited for their work. At this stage, the program will serve as a Launchpad to attract public attention to our ecosystem and to set off a community-driven.
General attitude
Throughout the Innovation Booster, every reasonable effort must be made to find a way to bringing the project to the best possible conclusion. If, nonetheless, the project does not succeed to go further, the team has to document other final outputs (e.g. how and why the idea is not feasible).
The Innovation Booster aims to generate ideas and develop projects in a transversal way by including various profiles from different sectors, using open innovation as a driving force to achieve this goal. Particular attention will be paid to the diversity of profiles and their mindset towards open innovation.
What you can expect from us
The Innovation Booster is designed to service you in a manifold purpose:
- To stimulate research and development for practical application in your field of expertise at lower costs and mitigated risks (applied R&D, know-how acquisition, competitiveness);
- To instil an uplifting spirit of open collaboration and constructive emulation between Swiss professionals, academics and enthusiasts of your field of expertise (enhanced networking and collaboration opportunities, sharing of experience and know-how);
- To explore and demonstrate commons-based, community-driven innovation and business models to give you new options to sustain, diversify and expand your activities or clientele (extended innovation culture, value creation);
- To showcase the impetus and talent pool stemming from the Swiss ecosystem in your field of expertise (economic and know-how promotion, credentialisation);
- To nurture trustful and mutual understanding among stakeholders of the Swiss sport ecosystem to open new ways for collaboration and more opportunities to strengthen regional and interregional socioeconomic fabrics (growing stronger together).
What we expect from you
While you partake in the Innovation Booster, we count on you:
- To bring your innovative mind to generate innovative ideas, if you have any, that solve identified issues or create specific opportunities for improvement;
- To welcome others’ innovation ideas, and explore them in depth without making any judgement ;
- To be eager to learn and adopt an open, constructive and audacious mindset capable of thinking outside of the box and accepting new ideas in the spirit of open innovation;
- To be willing to contribute and engage with your own experience, expertise and know-how to positively contribute in solving the challenge;
- To be, if given the chance, a supportive team player in doing the work and representing the community-driven innovation ecosystem inside the program and beyond.
We look forward to contributing with you to stimulate innovation in the sport ecosystem.