Best ways to
commercialize academic
and research inventions
Real life case:
Carving ski
Background of the invention
Problem: skidding during skiing
 Assumption: edge grip too low
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 Result:
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no real solution
New assumption: No skidding = every
point on ski edge travels trough single
point on ski slope
 Result:
cut
skidding is geometry problem = side
The story
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Chronology:
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1988 – idea + proto
1989 – first use in competition
1990 – stop of the project
1991-1993 guerilla marketing
1993 – first attempt to start production
1994 – first production run
1995 – start of market penetration
1996 -1999 increase to 90% of all skis sold
2000 – World Cup racing
2000+ - industry standard
Key factors in success
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Luck
Persistence
No legal protection
Functionality recognized by beginners
All big players were involved
What can we learn?
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There is no single rule how to do it
Inventive product needs inventive marketing
Market is owned by big players, not by you!
 Employeees
 Inventory
 Customers
What can we learn?
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Experts are not necessarily experts, if they get paid for their
expertise
Public funding in not crucial, but can help
Beware of side effects
Not all benefits are financial 