Providing Active Safety Shoes based On Nano Technologies

Project Information

PASSIONATE

Grant agreement ID: 672506

DOI 10.3030/672506

Closed project

EC signature date 1 May 2015

Start date 1 June 2015

End date 30 November 2015

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies

Total cost € 71 429,00

EU contribution € 50 000,00

Coordinated by

BEKINA BOOTS NV
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PASSIONATE (Providing Active Safety Shoes based On Nano Technologies)

Reporting period: 2015-06-01 to 2015-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The PASSIONATE project has allowed Bekina Boots NV to investigate a number of commercial issues surrounding the introduction of nano-technologies to provide novel safety features for its boots.
Over the past 6 months the overall project objectives have been reached. They can be shortly summarized as follows:
- A broad market evaluation has been performed, leading to the identification of 3 niche sectors which will be targeted with tailored products
- Bekina Boots has developed a product and marketing roadmap for the next 2-4 years. This roadmap is based on a vision which builds on the following principles: Multi-material design methods; State-of-the-art production methods (factory of the future); Ecosystem of technical and commercial partners
- A first financial plan has been developed for realizing this roadmap

Furthermore the project allowed the leaders of the different departments and teams within the company, to reflect on and investigate common objectives. This has led to a number of tangible results:
- generation / funneling of valuable ideas
- gathering / structuring of commercial data
- increased involvement of marketing and sales teams in product development
- adoption of more thorough strategic & financial planning

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The work plan was structured in 3 tracks with each a number of tasks assigned to. The following actions were realized:

Technical feasibility: prototype has been realized
Market feasibility
A lot of work has been performed on investigation of the market feasibility. The coaching activities have supported us in getting a better understanding of niche segments and untapped markets / unmet customer needs.
Financial feasibility: a detailed business case has been worked out for expanding production capacity at our current site in Kluisbergen (Belgium)

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The conclusion of the feasibility study is that Bekina Boots NV will continue to pursue the project that was described in the initial application. Naturally, the vision has evolved on a number of areas.

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