Show me the money: How to commercialize your research

Show me the money: How to commercialize your research

📅 Thursday 21/05 10:30-15:30h

📍 Main Hall

🔎 Needs Analysis

TEL researchers often excel at creating innovative solutions but lack systematic exposure to business thinking and commercialization pathways. PhD students invest years in developing novel approaches, yet many remain unaware of how to translate research into sustainable impact or employment beyond academia. This workshop bridges that gap by showing researchers how to “speak business”: understanding diverse company perspectives, learning proven business models, and recognizing that innovation isn’t just about novel technology but about value creation for specific contexts and users. Through looking at real-world examples and practicing pitch development, participants gain practical skills to sell their research to potential employers or partners.

📒 Session Description

This workshop introduces participants to the fundamentals of translating academic research into viable educational technology offerings for different types of organisations. It combines conceptual input on innovation and business models with hands-on application to participants’ own projects, encouraging them to view their research through the lens of value creation, stakeholders, and sustainability. Participants will explore what matters to companies compared to academic stakeholders and work with established business model patterns to sketch several possible ways their TEL research could underpin sustainable products, services, or internal innovation initiatives. Then the focus shifts to real-world examples and to “speaking the language” of potential customers, as participants refine one selected business model into a concise, outcome-oriented pitch aimed at a defined organisation type and receive feedback on clarity, relevance, and persuasiveness.

💡 Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Articulate the innovation concept beyond technology
• Analyze business models strategically and identify 3–5 viable business model patterns for their own TEL research
• Adopt market-centric thinking: explain how company size, internal/external positioning, and revenue requirements shape business model selection
• Convert academic value propositions into compelling corporate narratives that emphasize ROI and concrete outcomes
• Create a 5-minute pitch with 60–90 second core summary that resonates with a specific target company type