On April 1st, Riga Stradinš University hosted a practical seminar titled “Scientists” Breakfast: From Lab to Value." The seminar aimed to strengthen the BioPhoT team and researchers' ability to transform their scientific results into a clear, structured, and compelling value proposition. The event brought together scientists and interested parties from various fields who, alongside experienced mentor Voldemārs Brēdiks, deeply analyzed how to define the significance of their research beyond academia, by addressing funders, collaborators, and end-users.
There was a fundamental difference between the science and innovation perspectives at the seminar. While in academia, value is traditionally measured by publications, citations, and methodological rigor, in the innovation ecosystem, what is crucial is what problem a specific solution addresses, who needs it, and what its practical impact is. During the seminar, the mentor explained how to successfully transition from thinking “What am I researching?” to “Why should anyone care?”.
Participants learned about the principles of creating a value proposition, paying special attention to the ability to distinguish a technology's functionality from user benefits and the actual “pain points” that the solution addresses. The importance of problem definition was also emphasized, analyzing the frequency, severity, and lack of existing solutions for a problem, as well as the ability to substantiate the scale of the problem with specific data and examples.
In the practical workshop session, participants worked on formulating the value proposition of their projects and developing a short idea outline, also known as an elevator pitch. During this process, special attention was paid to different target audiences – users, decision-makers, and payers – emphasizing that each of these groups requires a distinct message.
Given that the event took place on Shadow Day, students – shadows who had come along with industry professionals – also actively participated in the seminar. They not only observed the process but also engaged in discussions, participated in value generation, and presented their ideas, demonstrating a high level of interest and understanding of innovation creation principles.
The workshop served as an important preparatory step for the next steps in research and innovation development, in particular with a view to the upcoming BioPhoT call for research and innovation projects, where a clearly defined socio-economic impact and a solid value proposition are essential.
