Booster expert tips and insights: the exploitation of your research results

Booster is a collaborative support service designed to mentor EU-funded project researchers grow their project’s impact and real-world application. The process is hands-on and co-creative: Booster experts bring tailored advice and tools, while beneficiaries remain at the centre of the journey.

Booster is a collaborative support service designed to mentor EU-funded project researchers grow their project’s impact and real-world application. The process is hands-on and co-creative: Booster experts bring tailored advice and tools, while beneficiaries remain at the centre of the journey, actively shaping how their results are communicated, shared, and used. In the following Q&A, Booster expert Marco Franchin shares his insights and practical tips on how you, as a beneficiary, can make the most of this support and turn collaboration into lasting impact, focusing on the exploitation of research results.

Booster helps with exploitation strategies, but what are some proactive and preliminary steps beneficiaries should take to ensure they maximise the value of this assistance?

Marco Franchin, Booster expert: First, beneficiaries should start the exploitation process as soon as possible, and access Booster services in the first half of project implementation. That timing makes the overall process smoother and more efficient. Secondly, it’s advisable to begin discussing Key Exploitable Results (KERs) and agree on which to bring to Booster before service delivery. Selecting the right KERs is challenging, especially when multiple developers must reach agreement. Although Booster experts support KER identification, consortia should start that conversation early. Finally, because Booster workshops are brainstorming sessions, involve as many people as possible.

How can beneficiaries ensure that the methodologies and tools from Booster have a lasting impact across future research projects?

The methodologies and tools used by Booster experts apply to any research project in any domain. Your main goal should be to master these methods so you can reuse them in other contexts, not merely to complete a single KER. It's also important to highlight that exploitation strategy is iterative: start at project outset and continue after its end. Regularly revise and update the outputs from Booster support. In other words, once one manages to properly and effectively use these methodologies and tools, then one can apply them in other research contexts. Also, address IP issues early and pave the way for ownership agreements if results are co-owned.

What are some typical mistakes you observe in the exploitation strategy that you receive that usually need revising?
Strategies are often too generic, not built around each KER. Without KER-based focus, you can’t devise a credible plan. Many strategies also ignore post-project activities, so coordination and resources for follow-through are lacking. Some remain technology-driven rather than problem-driven: adopters’ problems are not identified, or missing explanation about why the new solution is superior. Target groups are described too vaguely, making tailored dissemination impossible. Finally, co-ownership issues are neglected, and the time to agree on ownership is underestimated.

As explained by our Booster expert, Booster is here to guide you, no matter how far along your exploitation planning already is. Whether you arrive with a detailed roadmap or you’re just beginning to think about how to turn your research into real-world impact, our experts will work with you every step of the way.

Be proactive where you can:

• Identify Key Exploitable Results  
• Engage all partners 
• Gather basic market insights  

All of this will help you dive deeper from Day 1. But even if you’re starting from scratch, simply coming ready to listen, ask questions, and collaborate will yield valuable tools and fresh perspectives. 

In the end, diligence and engagement are what turn expert advice into lasting impact. Come as you are, make the process your own, and you’ll leave Booster not just with a one-time strategy, but with skills, connections, and momentum that carry your results far beyond the project’s lifespan.