When moving from the screening into the assessment phase of IP management, it’s important to keep an open mind—and open ears—during the market-based assessment. I say “ears” because Fuentek assessments include interviews with industry experts, which provide extremely valuable market information that guides decisions about how, where, and when—or even whether—to begin marketing the technology. Listening carefully to what industry experts have to say about the market’s needs with respect to the technology lets you know which action is most appropriate. And in some cases, this means not merely holding off on marketing but actually stopping the assessment early. Let’s take a look at a real-world example. Continue reading →
As I’ve blogged about previously, it is essential that you determine the market’s interest in a new technology before marketing it. In pursuing that information—be it through a market-based assessment like Fuentek’s or some other market research activity—one must not underestimate the value of the technology overview. Whether it’s to ensure your own understanding of the innovation or whether you use it to explain it to industry experts, a strong technology overview is paramount. Without a clear understanding of the technology, how can its market potential be understood? Fuentek has found that an effective technology overview includes… 
Before you pick up the phone to gather industry opinions as you assess a technology’s commercial value, do some homework to identify the right experts to call. Who are they? Target those who are most likely to influence or have a viable interest in adopting the technology. How do you find them? Consider the value chain. In doing hundreds of assessments for our clients, Fuentek has found the value chain to be an essential tool to identify target markets and prospective licensees. Basically, the value chain is… 