Participation Options

The VoltaChem Shared Innovation Program embraces the goal of open innovation: to share ideas, efforts, costs, and risks, and to reduce time to market for the new process and product innovation. Typically, VoltaChem results are shared on a non-exclusive basis between program partners according to customized agreements, tuned to each partner's needs and situation.

Whenever appropriate, however, VoltaChem also facilitates more dedicated research trajectories. We often do this to speed up the technology transfer and industrial uptake of results obtained in shared research, that have reached a higher maturity (Technology Readiness Level or TRL). Also, this model helps in our collaborations with SMEs who typically have shorter R&D horizons. For these collaborations, dedicated partnership and IP agreements are discussed with the companies involved.

Our participants have indicated amongst others the following reasons for collaboration:

• Gaining insight into the most promising innovations and identifying a first mover advantage that can help in increasing market positioning, developing new high-value products, lowering costs and lowering the carbon footprint of production.
• Developing a next generation technology by tapping into the combined unique expertise, experience and infrastructure in chemistry, high-tech and engineering that is available.
• Leverage on own R&D and business development efforts by participation in Shared Research Programs and/or in regional, national and international subsidy programs with likeminded ambitious companies.
• Lower investment risks in R&D by sharing costs, risks and benefits in pre-competitive technology development and piloting.
• Identifying key technology and value chain partners that have the same ambition and complementary business models.
• Flexibility through a joint roadmap that is continuously updated by and for the participants based on the results of the program lines and an international innovation & technology scouting.

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  Collaboration models

• Business community membership: Exclusive discussion group, roadmap updates, high-level results, and (inter)national events.
• Shared Research Program participation: Pre-competitive flexible R&D within a collaborative program with a duration of 2-4 years. Participants get rights to the results and determine the scope of the program along the way.
• Co-funded R&D: Pre-competitive fixed collaborative development. Small projects with predefined scope/time/budget. Participants get rights to the results and determine the scope up-front together.
• Contract R&D (consultancy, technology development): Exclusive bilateral consultancy or R&D projects with predefined scope/time/budget.
• Subsidized research collaboration: VoltaChem participates in publicly funded consortium projects (e.g. RVO, EU) and fundamental research programs (e.g. now) based on the collaborative roadmap. The funding rules of the specific programs determine the rights to the results.

We invite companies to join our VoltaChem Business Community and explore the various ways of participating in our research programs. Are you active in the process industry, energy sector, and equipment supply & licensors and do you want to find out more about VoltaChem and how your company can participate and benefit? Please contact us!