Consumer Insights at the heart of Innovation By Karen Boers Presented at Merlien Institute's Qualitative Consumer Research & Insights, 7 & 8 April 2011, Malta http://www.merlien.org

1. Consumer insights
at the heart of innovation
Karen Boers
Marketing & Communications Manager, IBBT
QCRI 2011

2. How does consumer research fit into
innovation processes?
• Consumer insights: an essential part of open
innovation
• An interdisciplinary user-driven innovation model
for (ICT) research & development
• Maximize economic and social impact of
innovation

3. Where did it go wrong?

4. Where did it go wrong?
• Does anyone really NEED this?
• Is this as IDIOT PROOF as possible?
• Is this something you would LIKE to use (in this
way)?

5. User-centric innovation
User
feedback Need? demand
Design / (technical)
likeability solution
Usability
feedback testing

6. Who got the message?

7. How does this fit into an innovation model?

8. IBBT
Create economic and societal value through ICT innovation

9. From idea to business

10. Cooperative research
• Demand-driven research projects
• in close collaboration with large companies, SME’s, non-profit
organizations and governments (ICON)
• early stage testing (iLab)
• technical feasibility non
profit
• large-scale user testing SME’s
• set-up of living labs, incl. panel management large
com-
panies
• 5 application domains
~ current social & economical challenges

11. User-driven innovation: ASCIT

12. User-driven innovation: PING

13. User-driven innovation: GeoBIPS

14. So let’s hit the market?

15. Maximize economic or social impact
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE !!!
• Involve the user from the start
• Include roll-out in a living lab context if possible to
gather feedback in real-life circumstances
• AND: mould an inventor into an entrepreneur

16. A tale told by a venture capitalist
Idea and pictures courtesy of Alex Brabers, GIMV

18. Incubation & acceleration program
iStep • Teaching & learning
Help them find & understand
• Create entrepreneurial teams around your idea
iBoot • Validate the their customers!
business opportunity
iProof • Coaching and implementing real ventures
• Provide space, logistic support & operational
iCubes services
iVenture • Preseed capital fund

19. http://linkedin.com
http://twitter.com/IBBT
http://facebook.com/IBBT.be
http://netlog.com/IBBT
www.ibbt.be
Questions?

20. Presented at the International conference on
Qualitative Consumer Research & Insights
7 & 8 April 2011, Malta
For more information
Please visit: http://www.merlien.org