Importance of R&D&I projects

R&D&I project management

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the innovative activity in the business sector largely encouraged by public policies to support these activities. Experience shows that projects are implemented and R&D&I actions but not always in a systematic way or following specific methodologies that integrate these actions with the rest of the company's activities. This means that:

1. Ideas are lost that could be developed into R&D&I projects.
2. Project implementation is initiated without a state of the art analysis.
3. Products already protected by some form of industrial property are developed.

Likewise, the lack of systematic management systems for the R&D&I projects can result in the ideas that do become projects taking up more time and resources than originally planned.

As in any other project, an R&D&I project requires the management of different elements, from the generation of the innovative idea to its implementation and valorisation, including:

• Staff developing the project.
• Contacts: suppliers, partners, other stakeholders.
• Planning and implementation of activities: phases and tasks.
• Associated and generated documentation.
• Material resources required.

The success of an R&D&I project does not depend solely on the capacity of the technical and human team responsible for the development of the work. In many cases, the success of the project may be tarnished by poor management that does not take into account aspects such as meeting objectives on time, communication with the client, resource management, etc.

General project management methodologies can be directly applied to the management of R&D&I projects, with some particularities. The standard UNE166001 Requirements for an R&D&I project indicates that the project must include at least the following aspects:

• Designation of a project manager, setting out his/her functions.
• Project objectives.
• Innovation and degree of novelty of the project.
• Planning.
• Risk management.
• Budget and resources.
• Exploitation of results.
• Control of documentation.
• Follow-up.
• Change control.

Role of Bosonit Innovation in R&D&I project management

Bosonit Innovation has a wide portfolio of R&D&I project management services, as well as the following services access to public funding sources. These services are adapted to each project according to its typology and the client:

1. Conceptualisation of the project:
   1. Development of the project idea.
   2. Assessment of the strategic importance of the project in the company.
   3. Selection of the most appropriate financing scheme for the project.
   4. Search for partners, if necessary.
   5. Preparation and submission of the proposal to the relevant body.
2. Project management:
   1. Monitoring the development of the project and meeting milestones.
   2. Control of resource consumption.
   3. Preparation of supporting reports.
   4. Management of internal communication in collaborative projects.
   5. Support in the administrative management of the dossier.
   6. Advice on tax deductions for R&D&I projects.
3. Exploitation and dissemination:
   1. Elaboration of the plan for the transfer and exploitation of results.
   2. Accompaniment in the communication and dissemination strategy.
   3. Support for the protection of intellectual property.

Bosonit Innovation works hand in hand with the client, so that the innovation process is integrated as much as possible in the organisation, aligning the projects with the company's strategy from their definition to the exploitation of the results.