More Innovation Lessons from Big Pharma
I recently wrote in these pages about how Innovation Practitioners can benefit from leveraging concepts that the leading pharmaceutical companies are using to transform their approach to Research and Development. Apparently this transformation is not limited to Big Pharma’s R&D. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Jonathan Rockoff writes about recent changes underway to the salesforces at Big Pharma. Understanding those changes can bear fruit for students of innovation.
Rockoff cites the example of Eli Lilly & Co. sales representative Michaelene Greenly, whose approach to dealing with doctors has evolved from a hard-sell approach to a more conversational and relationship-driven approach. Although the hard-sell approach in the past had yielded positive sales results as more and more blockbuster drugs appeared on the market, that aggressive approach began to generate diminishing returns. As Greenly observes,
“We used to come in with our own agenda: What can I accomplish today? We’ve turned that all around. It’s what the doctor talks about.”
Rockoff notes that the intense, scripted sales presentations of the past are making way for engagements where the salespeople focus on understanding what the doctors’ conditions of satisfaction. The impetus behind this transformation in the sales relationship, according to Eli Lilly’s President of Global Business David Ricks, was the realization that there was an increasingly wide gap between what doctors expected from a new drug (based on the sales pitch) versus the reality of what the new drug delivered for a doctor’s patients.
At first glance, the observation that we need to focus on customer wants and needs seems intuitive to those of us who work in the innovation space. After all, one of the core elements of an innovation discussion is the dialog-driven nature of the interaction. We are taught by visionaries such as Simon Sinek to “Start with Why” in order to understand what drives the essential being of our customers before we get to the “How” or “What” of what we would sell.
However, the evolution of the Big Pharma salesforce serves as a reminder to us of how easy it is to fall into the trap of having so much confidence in the benefits of our products that we forget the basic lesson of focusing on the client. Innovation practitioners are particularly susceptible to this failing because, for some of our innovation work, we approach clients with fascinating new products or services that we view as industry-transforming or earth-shattering. The bright, shiny objects that we are eager to share with our clients can sometimes blind us to the more fundamental question of what that bright, shiny object actually means to the customer. An innovative product or service may have value in and of itself, but without a specific application by an end user, that product or service’s value is questionable. Although in our sales efforts we have to demonstrate enthusiasm for the novelty of what we are selling (otherwise the client will wonder why we are wasting their time), the best approach is to impart that enthusiasm to our client by helping them understand what the innovation means to them.
Sources: Jonathan D. Rockoff, “Drug Sales Reps Try a Softer Pitch,” Wall Street Journal (January 10, 2012)Simon Sinek, www.startwithwhy.com
Avantium and The Coca-Cola Company sign partnership agreement to develop next generation 100% plant based plastic: PEF
Exceptional functional properties make biobased plastic PEF a suitable alternative for future beverage packaging following technology break-through by Avantium
15 December, 2011 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dutch research and technology company Avantium has developed a patented technology YXY to produce 100% biobased PEF bottles. Currently PET is the most widely used oil-based polyester. Based on the performance of the new PEF material, Avantium believes PEF will become the next-generation biobased polyester.
Today the company announced an agreement with The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) to further co-develop Avantium's YXY technology for producing PEF bottles. First milestones include the start-up of an Avantium PEF pilot plant, officially opened on December 8th in Geleen, the Netherlands. It is expected that other large co-development partners will join from early 2012.
Avantium's CEO Tom van Aken: "Our YXY solution for the packaging industry creates a new biobased plastic with exceptional functional properties at a competitive price. We believe it is economically viable and has a significantly reduced environmental footprint. We have already made bottles with exceptional barrier and thermal properties and our production process fits well with existing supply chains. We plan to initiate commercial production of PEF in about three to four years."
PEF can be derived from any biomass feedstock containing carbohydrates, such as sugarcane, agricultural residues, plants and grains. Using YXY as a fast and efficient chemical-catalytic technology, these carbohydrates can be converted into a wide variety of bioplastics.
Current process economic estimates indicate that PEF will be a viable alternative to petroleum-based PET. Says Tom van Aken: "PEF is 100% biobased and when commercialized will be fully recyclable. We believe that PEF fulfills key criteria to become a next generation biobased plastic for food, beverages and other applications. We are very excited about the co-development phase we are entering with The Coca-Cola Company to continue the development of PEF and make this new material ready for mass production and recycling. Their leadership and experience in commercializing biobased materials make them a great partner to work with as we commercialize this exciting new material".
On 8 December, Avantium officially opened its pilot plant in the Netherlands, to start up its YXY process at scale. The pilot plant, with a capacity of 40 tons per year, produces PEF material for application development. The collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company is key to secure a smooth transition into the mass production phase of PEF bottles. Avantium is also actively discussing partnerships with other leading brand owners to develop PEF bottles, fibers and film. In the longer term Avantium will license its YXY technology to enable large scale, world-wide production and use of its biobased plastic materials.
About Avantium
Avantium is a leading technology company specialized in the area of advanced high-throughput R&D. The company develops and commercializes YXY - its brand name for the technology to produce chemical building blocks for green materials with exceptional product properties at a competitive price. Combined with the significant reduction in environmental footprint, Avantium's lead application PEF, fulfills all key criteria to become the next generation biobased plastics for bottles, film and fibers.
Avantium has demonstrated the value and commercial potential of its unique technology by collaborating with leading companies in the energy and chemical industries. It has a proven track record in offering fast and efficient chemical catalytic development services and systems to market leaders such as BP, Shell and Sasol. Avantium offices and headquarters are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
About YXY
Avantium has developed YXY (pronounced as icksy) - a family of green building blocks for making materials and fuels that can compete on both price and performance with oil based alternatives, but which have a superior environmental footprint. YXY is a patented technology that converts biomass into Furanics building blocks, such as FDCA (2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid). FDCA is the monomer that can be used for the production of the bio-based polyester PEF (Poly-ethylene-furanoate). YXY has the potential to become the perfect solution for today's challenges, using carbohydrates as feedstock to enable the manufacture of green and sustainable products. This fast and cost-effective production process is based on Avantium's catalytic technology. YXY can be implemented in existing chemical production assets. Avantium is collaborating with leading companies in the industry to develop and produce green materials and fuels based on YXY building blocks. See www.yxy.com for more information.
Via: www.avantium.com
Click here to read the press statement of The Coca-Cola Company.
15 December, 2011 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dutch research and technology company Avantium has developed a patented technology YXY to produce 100% biobased PEF bottles. Currently PET is the most widely used oil-based polyester. Based on the performance of the new PEF material, Avantium believes PEF will become the next-generation biobased polyester.
Today the company announced an agreement with The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) to further co-develop Avantium's YXY technology for producing PEF bottles. First milestones include the start-up of an Avantium PEF pilot plant, officially opened on December 8th in Geleen, the Netherlands. It is expected that other large co-development partners will join from early 2012.
Avantium's CEO Tom van Aken: "Our YXY solution for the packaging industry creates a new biobased plastic with exceptional functional properties at a competitive price. We believe it is economically viable and has a significantly reduced environmental footprint. We have already made bottles with exceptional barrier and thermal properties and our production process fits well with existing supply chains. We plan to initiate commercial production of PEF in about three to four years."
PEF can be derived from any biomass feedstock containing carbohydrates, such as sugarcane, agricultural residues, plants and grains. Using YXY as a fast and efficient chemical-catalytic technology, these carbohydrates can be converted into a wide variety of bioplastics.
Current process economic estimates indicate that PEF will be a viable alternative to petroleum-based PET. Says Tom van Aken: "PEF is 100% biobased and when commercialized will be fully recyclable. We believe that PEF fulfills key criteria to become a next generation biobased plastic for food, beverages and other applications. We are very excited about the co-development phase we are entering with The Coca-Cola Company to continue the development of PEF and make this new material ready for mass production and recycling. Their leadership and experience in commercializing biobased materials make them a great partner to work with as we commercialize this exciting new material".
On 8 December, Avantium officially opened its pilot plant in the Netherlands, to start up its YXY process at scale. The pilot plant, with a capacity of 40 tons per year, produces PEF material for application development. The collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company is key to secure a smooth transition into the mass production phase of PEF bottles. Avantium is also actively discussing partnerships with other leading brand owners to develop PEF bottles, fibers and film. In the longer term Avantium will license its YXY technology to enable large scale, world-wide production and use of its biobased plastic materials.
About Avantium
Avantium is a leading technology company specialized in the area of advanced high-throughput R&D. The company develops and commercializes YXY - its brand name for the technology to produce chemical building blocks for green materials with exceptional product properties at a competitive price. Combined with the significant reduction in environmental footprint, Avantium's lead application PEF, fulfills all key criteria to become the next generation biobased plastics for bottles, film and fibers.
Avantium has demonstrated the value and commercial potential of its unique technology by collaborating with leading companies in the energy and chemical industries. It has a proven track record in offering fast and efficient chemical catalytic development services and systems to market leaders such as BP, Shell and Sasol. Avantium offices and headquarters are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
About YXY
Avantium has developed YXY (pronounced as icksy) - a family of green building blocks for making materials and fuels that can compete on both price and performance with oil based alternatives, but which have a superior environmental footprint. YXY is a patented technology that converts biomass into Furanics building blocks, such as FDCA (2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid). FDCA is the monomer that can be used for the production of the bio-based polyester PEF (Poly-ethylene-furanoate). YXY has the potential to become the perfect solution for today's challenges, using carbohydrates as feedstock to enable the manufacture of green and sustainable products. This fast and cost-effective production process is based on Avantium's catalytic technology. YXY can be implemented in existing chemical production assets. Avantium is collaborating with leading companies in the industry to develop and produce green materials and fuels based on YXY building blocks. See www.yxy.com for more information.
Via: www.avantium.com
Click here to read the press statement of The Coca-Cola Company.
Amsterdam krijgt elektrisch 'tankstation'
AMSTERDAM - Amsterdam krijgt begin volgend jaar een grote oplaadplek voor elektrisch vervoer langs de ringweg A10.
Met 40 reguliere en vier snellaadpunten wordt dat het grootste elektrische 'tankstation' van Europa, aldus initiatiefnemer Taxi-e woensdag.
Taxi-e rijdt sinds vorige week in Amsterdam en Amstelveen en op Schiphol met 20 luxe taxi's op groene stroom. De oplaadplaats, die in februari of maart bij de afrit Amstel Business Park moet komen, biedt plek aan de taxi's, maar ook aan particulieren.
Bij de snellaadpunten kunnen de elektrische auto's na ongeveer 20 minuten weer een tijd vooruit. Bij de reguliere punten duurt dat gemiddeld 6 tot 8 uur. Daardoor krijgt het station de functie van een soort P+R-terrein waar vandaan mensen met het openbaar vervoer naar huis kunnen gaan.
Bron: Nu.nl
Met 40 reguliere en vier snellaadpunten wordt dat het grootste elektrische 'tankstation' van Europa, aldus initiatiefnemer Taxi-e woensdag.
Taxi-e rijdt sinds vorige week in Amsterdam en Amstelveen en op Schiphol met 20 luxe taxi's op groene stroom. De oplaadplaats, die in februari of maart bij de afrit Amstel Business Park moet komen, biedt plek aan de taxi's, maar ook aan particulieren.
Bij de snellaadpunten kunnen de elektrische auto's na ongeveer 20 minuten weer een tijd vooruit. Bij de reguliere punten duurt dat gemiddeld 6 tot 8 uur. Daardoor krijgt het station de functie van een soort P+R-terrein waar vandaan mensen met het openbaar vervoer naar huis kunnen gaan.
Bron: Nu.nl
Websites met nieuws
Beste SBI-ers,
Aangezien deze blog best goed gelezen wordt, hebben we een aantal nieuwssites doorgestuurd gekregen waar nieuws staat wat betrekking heeft op SBI. Absoluut leuk om in de gaten te houden en een mooie aanvulling op de dagelijkse dosis NU.nl en SBI-nieuws!
Veel leesplezier!
Aangezien deze blog best goed gelezen wordt, hebben we een aantal nieuwssites doorgestuurd gekregen waar nieuws staat wat betrekking heeft op SBI. Absoluut leuk om in de gaten te houden en een mooie aanvulling op de dagelijkse dosis NU.nl en SBI-nieuws!
Veel leesplezier!
Efficiëntere zonnecel in zicht
AMSTERDAM - Een team van Nederlandse en Tsjechische onderzoekers heeft silicium nanokristallen gemaakt die het rendement van zonnecellen flink kunnen gaan verhogen.
L
De onderzoekers van onder meer de Universiteit van Amsterdam schrijven over de ontdekking in een online publicatie in Nature Nanotechnology.
Standaard zonnecellen bestaan uit silicium, waarin onder invloed van licht een elektrische stroom gaat lopen. Het gangbare rendement van die zonnecellen is 15 tot 20 procent.
In tegenstelling tot het silicium dat in gangbare zonnecellen wordt gebruikt kunnen de silicium nanokristallen, een miljoen keer kleiner dan een zandkorrel, dankzij hun structuur het licht efficiënter omzetten.
Honderd procent
De onderzoekers bereikten in hun experiment een rendement van bijna 100 procent. Ze hebben nog geen daadwerkelijke zonnecellen gemaakt. Ze beschenen de nanokristallen en maten hoeveel lichtdeeltjes ze vervolgens weer uitzonden.
Verrassend genoeg ging de efficiëntie van deze kristallen bij energierijker licht juist omhoog, standaard zonnecellen werken hier juist minder effectief.
Uit vervolgexperimenten moet blijken of het rendement ook zo hoog blijft als het licht moet worden omgezet in elektriciteit. Dat zou de weg vrijmaken voor de productie van veel efficiëntere zonnecellen.
Bron: nu.nl
Succesvolle onderwijsinnovatie: SBI grootste bachelor FEW
Gestart in 2007 is de VU-opleiding Science, Business & Innovation (SBI) uitgegroeid tot de grootste bacheloropleiding binnen de Faculteit der Exacte Wetenschappen, met 194 ingeschreven studenten. Het succes is niet in de laatste plaats te danken aan de grote betrokkenheid van docenten, VU-diensten én de SBI-studenten.
SBI is in goede samenwerking en sterke inbedding met partner-faculteiten Economische Wetenschappen en Bedrijfskunde (FEWEB) en Sociale Wetenschappen (FSW) tot stand gekomen. Mede hierdoor is SBI in staat geweest om haar vernieuwende weg te vinden, accreditatie te behalen (2010) en de huidige positie te verwerven. Inmiddels hebben meerdere bachelorstudenten SBI een goed passende baan, heeft een tiental een stage of studiejaar in het buitenland gedaan – met name in VS, Europa en Canada – en wordt er stage gelopen bij bedrijven en instellingen door heel Nederland. Dit studiejaar is ook de mastervariant SBI van start gegaan.
Meer informatie over de opleidingen:
www.vu.nl/sbi
http://www.vu.nl/nl/opleidingen/masteropleidingen/opleidingenoverzicht/s-z/science-business-innovation/index.asp
SBI is in goede samenwerking en sterke inbedding met partner-faculteiten Economische Wetenschappen en Bedrijfskunde (FEWEB) en Sociale Wetenschappen (FSW) tot stand gekomen. Mede hierdoor is SBI in staat geweest om haar vernieuwende weg te vinden, accreditatie te behalen (2010) en de huidige positie te verwerven. Inmiddels hebben meerdere bachelorstudenten SBI een goed passende baan, heeft een tiental een stage of studiejaar in het buitenland gedaan – met name in VS, Europa en Canada – en wordt er stage gelopen bij bedrijven en instellingen door heel Nederland. Dit studiejaar is ook de mastervariant SBI van start gegaan.
Meer informatie over de opleidingen:
www.vu.nl/sbi
http://www.vu.nl/nl/opleidingen/masteropleidingen/opleidingenoverzicht/s-z/science-business-innovation/index.asp
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