The activities performed belong to the three main fields of operations, and account for:
• the technological development of the formulation and the process, aiming to demonstrate the technical feasibility and to tune the formulation: flowing performances analogous to the atomized products are demonstrated, and the economic feature is approached so as to reduce the amount of additives (in particular the organic ones) to the limits of economic sustainability, principal matter of choice in the sector. Environmental sustainability has been checked as well through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, showing an 80% almost reduction of the environmental impacts, in terms of kg of CO2 emissions and MJ of primary energy required;
• Market assessment has been deployed, identifying the priorities for the growth, and a clear benefit associated to the implementation of the project results, in particular with reference to the end market expectations of increasing sustainability and reduction of emissions and costs for the processing of ceramics. The originality of the approach, jointly with the potential to be implemented at either side of the current tiles processors, makes the innovation a real breakthrough, and a potential best seller, giving advantages to every step in the value chain. According to the IPR aspects, DAXEL found no overlapping background, at the same time they refer to a strong risk of aggression and reverse engineering on the composition from competitors. The solution identified, to overcome risks and guarantee to DAXEL the best exploitation opportunities is to secure a brand and to establish a disciplinary, to activate an accession and accordingly drive the future developments in accordance to a well-defined process procedure and equipment. Specific set-up of the granulation equipment could be additional IPR worth be secured;
• Two types of complementary Business Models have been developed, relevant for different levels of time proximity. The former is related to the direct access to a market willing to increase the quality and price target of own product, at minor plants investments. Latter is more complex and foresees the joint material production and sales with a consultancy activity, for companies already active in a high end market willing to reduce the costs and complexity of the plants: it is upon this latest process that the business plan has been drafted, involving therefore the longer term advantages, and comprising the model “as usual” of production and sales of ceramic additives.
