Lessons Learned with the Innovation Triangle Initiative
Abstract
One of the roles of the European Space Agency (ESA) is to support the introduction of technology innovation in the space environment. This is the aim of the Innovation Triangle Initiative (ITI), whose specific goal is to explore technologies or services for space applications that are not currently being used or exploited in the context of space, but that have the potential for being the seed for significant innovation. ITI is based on the concept that a close collaboration between three different entities -- the inventor, the developer, and the customer -- is an important factor for the rapid and successful introduction of technology innovations in industry. Following a successful pilot phase, the operational phase of ITI was officially launched on 16th March 2004 with funding of 1.5 MEURO for 2004. The objective of this presentation is to present the ITI concept, the results achieved during ITI's first year of operation, lessons learned, and plans for 2005. The paper includes discussions of the concepts of disruptive innovation, stage-gate process, and Technology Readiness Level; a description of ITI's web-based proposal process; and figures showing the distribution of proposals submitted by member states in 2004, and the 26 Technical Domains in which ITI funds research.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 13, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA445555
Entities
People
- Marco Freire
- Marco Guglielmi
- Stephane Lascar
Organizations
- European Space Agency