Innovation and commercialization potential of university-developed arctic ice-tethered platforms. A case study of research-based technology

Abstract

The Arctic is a region which is rapidly opening up for business opportunities. However, research has been abundant here for a long time. With this situation comes the avenue to transition technology used in the region from research to commercial purposes. In this thesis, a business case is developed to show the commercial potential of research-based technology. The case technology was developed by the researchers of The University of Tromsø, The University Centre in Svalbard, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and the Scottish Association of Marine Scientists. It is a case under the NOK 40 million-funded ArcticABC research project, which presents a new method for measuring, harvesting and analyzing biological, geological and chemical processes within arctic sea ice. Its original purpose is to provide researchers with a means of autonomously carrying out arctic sea ice measurements all year round (including the largely understudied polar winter). However, upon introduction to students at the Business School in Tromsø, it was discovered that the technology can be adapted to also cater to businesses conducting operations in the Arctic, thus enabling the pathway for a commercial plan. Basing on several theoretical and practical methods, the students reviewed the innovative potential behind this technology, identified market segments and developed a packaged solution that has the potential to serve these markets. At the time of the thesis submission, the technology is still being tested and developed to ensure its capabilities, nonetheless, reasonable assumptions and justifications for those assumptions have been made to show how a research-based technology can be feasibly commercialized