The project started with the two days coaching workshop, held in Geneva, in December 2019. During the workshop, ID-Gene team and invited guests, including a representative of Innosuisse, examined the objectives of the projects and elaborated marketing strategy to ensure that the services are developed to maximize market opportunity and position. The workshop was followed by several coaching skype sessions focused on definition of market sectors, customer profiling, and pricing strategy. Based on discussions during the seminar and coaching sessions, ID-Gene conducted a series of discussions with existing and prospective clients to assess to which extent do the features/services of the AquaGen platform represent an advantage for their business. In particular, the software-as-service revenue model chosen for the AquaGen platform has been tested through designing a business model canvas and by determining which customer market segments were more likely to adopt the project. The outcome of these discussions has been to narrow down the market segments and concentrate on service to large industrial companies. In parallel to the direct contacts with the customers, AquaGen project has been presented to large audience at international events such as World Biodiversity Forum, Davos, Switzerland (February 2020).
The important part of the Phase 1 project was also to establish technical feasibility of AquaGen platform. This involved estimating the costs for building the platform, defining the timeline and selection of potential service providers. The later process took several weeks and involved direct discussion with over 20 IT companies in Switzerland and France. It resulted in writing the Terms of Reference specifications for AquaGen platform and selection of three IT & Design companies that demonstrated their projects during meetings in February and March 2020. The feasibility report was drafted in the second part of March 2020. The pandemic measures in Switzerland prevented holding the second coaching session in Geneva planned in April 2020.
The report contains also the assessment of two important aspects of AquaGen project, namely its dependence on current environmental regulations and risk management. The in-depth analysis of the main instruments of European environmental policy (WFD, MSFD) showed that the implementation in AquaGen platform of some particular sectors, such as freshwater monitoring, has to follow the calendar of regulatory changes, in particular the WFD cycles. Legal and regulatory risks have been included in the detailed risk management template, together with commercial, operational and other risks. The table identifying all risks, estimating their likelihood and impact, and describing the mitigation measures to be taken, has been provided at the end of the report.
