Appendix: Interviews
• Orientation Interviews
Participants:
EMF SKG
TNO (2 employees) WTH
• Actual Data Gathering Interviews Memstill TNO-MEP
Participants:
TNO (2 employees)
• Actual Data Gathering Interviews Memstill Partners
Participants:
EMF Heineken SKG TNO UT WTH WLB Evides
General about Company:
History of the company.
Relevant foreign contacts / structures.
Consortium:
How were you approached to join the consortium?
What is your motivation for joining the consortium?
What do you regard to be your main task in the consortium?
Are there specific tasks for which you would add additional partners?
Is the consortium managed in an effective way?
Do you think all consortium partners are suitable/functional for this project?
Would it be useful to continue the consortium after R&D for sales purposes?
Market Entry:
What kinds of parties are generally involved in the sales of your products?
What is your vision on the market entry of Memstill (what are your plans with the product)?
Questionnaire Interviews Consortia, Project Marketing & Systems Selling
MEMSTILL TNO-MEP
Introduction
The aim of this research is to gain insight in the reasons why market entries of innovations made by TNO-MEP are often unsuccessful. The Memstill consortium is used as a case, because this consortium involves a relatively large number of partners. The research is twofold: First, attention is given to setting up, and performing of collaborations, consortia. Secondly, attention is given to the results of consortia, corollary commitments.
Recommendations as result of the research will be given from two angles:
• Recommendations to improve the functioning of the Memstill consortium (Project level – vision partners – vision TNO)
• Recommendations for setting up new consortia at TNO (Multiple project level TNO)
Project independent strategies
1. How are strategic priorities set, concerning accepting/looking for projects? (geographic, sectoral, political, financially)
2. Which measures are taken to optimise the internal network? (having knowledge of/being able to use different departments)
3. How does TNO-MEP invest in external networks to keep TNO-MEP in the picture of potential customers?
4. How do you scan the technological and socio-economical environment to be able to detect potential projects in an early stage?
5. Does TNO work with a portfolio of potential projects from which you choose projects to work on? (Priorities TNO, attractiveness of the project, competences TNO-MEP) 6. Why did TNO set ML up as a “creative offer”? (Relation with discontinuity)
7. TNO can choose to participate in projects in multiple ways: alone, as head contractor, sub- contractor, or as advisor. Is a similar typology used to make up a portfolio of projects?
economical)
9. Are you willing to adapt the organisation to specific projects? (i.e. by setting up a Ltd.) 10. In what ways is the organisation adapted to the ML project? (technologically, financially,
socio-political)
11. Has the negation phase with ML partners resulted in changes in the project plans?
12. Are there procedures on how to operate on bringing together the necessary resources for a project? (on which level are decisions made)
13. In which ways does TNO differentiate itself in competitive tendering on projects?
Post completion strategies
14. Are there standard operating procedures to keep in touch with former customers?
15. Does TNO-MEP have strategies to gain other assignments from (ML) project partners, during, or after the project has been delivered?
16. How does TNO-MEP inform itself on customer satisfaction?
17. Are there follow-up strategies to stay informed on changes in the customer organisations, coming projects, or trends that might influence customers?
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18. Is there anything you would like to add to the topics which have been discussed?
Questionnaire Interviews Consortia, Project Marketing & Systems Selling
MEMSTILL PARTNERS
Introduction
The aim of this research is to gain insight in the reasons why market entries of innovations made by TNO-MEP are often unsuccessful. The Memstill consortium is used as a case, because this consortium involves a relatively large number of partners. The research is twofold: First, attention is given to setting up, and performing of collaborations, consortia. Secondly, attention is given to the results of consortia, corollary commitments.
Recommendations as result of the research will be given from two angles:
• Recommendations to improve the functioning of the Memstill consortium (Project level – vision partners – vision TNO)
• Recommendations for setting up new consortia at TNO (Multiple project level TNO)
Formation
1. How have you been approached to join the consortium?
2. Can you identify a triggering entity of the consortium (organisation or individual)?
3. Why have you decided to join the Memstill (ML) consortium?
4. How does ML fit into the strategy of your organisation?
5. How would another organisational form have influenced your willingness to join ML?
6. Are you of the opinion that another organisational form would have influenced the results of ML?
7. What is your opinion on the selection of the members, are there partners you would have left away, or would you have added partners?
8. What is your opinion on the number of members of the consortium, does this influence the results of ML?
Governance
9. Do you consider yourself to have enough influence on the decisions of the consortium?
10. What does your company add to ML; knowledge-related input (researchers,
management, or technical knowledge), or non-knowledge-related input (equipment, or finance)?
11. With whom of the members do you have contacts besides the ML consortium (frequency)?
13. What would you like to change in the current structure to improve the effectiveness of the consortium?
Results
14. How could the results, which have been reached by now, be reached earlier?
15. Are you of the opinion that you are informed correctly and in time about the progress and setbacks of ML, and how can this be improved?
16. What is your opinion concerning the co-operation (equality of input), would you appreciate changes in this?
17. To what extend has your organisation gained knowledge from ML?
18. Till when have you committed your organisation to ML, would you like to extent this, why?
Market: Post completion
19. What is your vision concerning the entry of the desalination market with ML?
20. What is your role in the chain for commercialisation of ML?
21. Would you like to continue the co-operation with partners of ML after the targets of the consortium have been met?
22. Do you see tasks for TNO after ML installations have been delivered?
23. Based upon your experiences from Memstill, would you consider participating in other projects of TNO?
24. Would you consider including TNO in early stages for new projects for your organisation?
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25. Is there anything you would like to add to these questions?
