The objective of the Feasibility Study was to carry out a technical feasibility study, to develop a business plan and to perform a Freedom to Operate (FTO) and patentability analysis, to ensure a successful commercialization of TRACKER after the completion of the Phase II. These are the main achieved results:
Technical Feasibility Study. During the Technical Feasibility the gas and PM sensors to be tested in Phase II were selected attending to the minimum technical requires (accuracy, limit of detection, responsiveness and cost) previously established. The casing materials were also selected. Resulting from these activities, two different gas sensors, two PM sensors and two options of materials were chosen, and they will be further tested during Phase II. A camera will be added to the device during the Phase II, as it has been proofed during a pollution monitoring test that the visual information complements the air quality data, and the route and road surface information collected by the sensors. The locations to validate externally the prototype were also selected, and a technical risk analysis was performed, and we established a mitigation plan accordingly.
Business Plan. During the Feasibility Study, the target market of bike sharing and the geographical areas to commercialize TRACKER have been identified. A market research has been carried out on Smart Cities, Bike Sharing and Bicycle markets. Based on this research, a commercialization strategy has been developed and the main competitors and potential customers (bike sharing manufacturers and operators) have been identified. A communication and dissemination plan has been developed attending to the stakeholder analysis. This plan establishes the communication channels (website, publications), and the activities to carry out (demos) and a selection of events to attend in order to disseminate the project results. A risk management plan was developed, to ensure a successful market introduction. A financial plan has been developed based on an initial pricing strategy: During the 5 years scenario for the commercialization of TRACKER, See.Sense estimates that 62.000 units will be sold both in Europe and Asia, reaching up to 5,86% of market share and €21,5m of revenue by 2024.
Freedom to operate. After a Freedom to Operate and a patentability analysis have been performed to ensure that there is no patent or regulations affecting the TRACKER freedom to operate. An initial IP strategy has been set to ensure the IP protection of the innovation developed during the project.
