CASE STORIES: MIT-GRANTS 2017
'YOU CAN’T DO WITHOUT GRANTS WHEN IT COMES TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT'
Last year many small and medium-sized businesses received another MIT-grant to further develop their innovative ideas. The goal of the MIT-scheme, an initiative by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), is to encourage innovation in small and medium-sized businesses across regional borders. It helps entrepreneurs to take the next step in developing a plan or to explore the feasibility of executing an idea. The MIT-grants within the creative industry are diverse and often connected to other top sectors. But what all these entrepreneurs have in common, is that they all can’t do without them.
Who: Cojects
What: Digital Interactive Movement
When: 05-01-2017 – 31-12-2017
Top sector: creative industry
Part MIT-scheme: feasibility study
LEARNING WHILE EXERCISING THROUGH GAMIFICATION
'Sitting is the new smoking' has become a common phrase as of late. The young small business Cojects wants to tackle this problem by using modern technology to help children exercise while learning. 'Our challenge is: how do we get children to be more healthy by making use of today’s technology?', says Marco van Gils, one of Cojects’ two owners. 'That’s why we’re developing a game that allows kids to give answers to math problems by making certain movements.'
Marco and his partner Joey Zwarts used the MIT to look at the feasibility and economic applicability of their idea. Additionally, they also received a youth innovation network subsidy, which they used to develop a pilot of the project and conduct further research. The partners mainly wanted to know how children can become intrinsically motivated to exercise through gamification. To find out, they visited various elementary schools and spoke with researchers. 'To ensure that the game adds to children’s wellbeing in the long-term, we asked for the help of experts. With their help, we found out what the most intensive movements are and how long you need to repeat those movements to actually have a positive effect on children’s health.' Joey and Marco also researched the economic applicability of the game. 'That made us realise that we need a so-called neural network to be able to accurately register the children’s movements. This is machine learning software that allows us to produce cheaper sensors.'
Our challenge is: how can we make children more healthy by making use of today’s technology?
To be able to develop this neural network, the two entrepreneurs need another grant. 'We’re working on product development, which you can’t do without funding. The MIT-grant was also indispensable for us. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to call in the help of experts.' The next step for Cojects is to find partners for further development. 'Preferably bigger parties in education who are willing to invest in the game. We hope to reach and make as many kids as possible more healthy that way.'
Who: Nienke Hoogvliet
What: seaweed textile in a circular manner
When: 07-01-2017 – 03-01-2018
Top sector: creative industry
Part MIT-scheme: feasibility study
SUSTAINABLE TEXTILE MADE OF SEAWEED
By making textile out of seaweed, Nienke Hoogvliet is offering a sustainable alternative to the polluting textile industry. This is because seaweed is naturally abundant, and, moreover, can be grown at high sea without spatial problems or water consumption. Additionally, the inventor has discovered that seaweed pigments can be used to dye textile. Nienke: 'Seaweed-based textile is comparable to any other sort of textile. You can make all kinds of things with it, such as clothing, interior products or car upholstery.'
Seaweed-based textile is comparable to any other sort of textile
Since 2014, Nienke has been experimenting with various possibilities. Right now, she is working on scaling her project. Because the designer has reached the limits of the possibilities in the Netherlands, she’s started to look beyond the border. 'The textile industry isn’t as big in the Netherlands, and there also isn’t that much seaweed. Last year, a call came in from Taiwan, from an organisation that invites designers to explore possibilities in Taiwan, specifically in the area of circularity and sustainability. I responded to that. Together we wrote the grant application and once the MIT was granted, we made a plan for traveling to Taiwan. Eventually, we spoke to a number of companies and found one that’s likely going to help us further.'
The MIT-grant was an important part of Nienke’s research. 'Because I can’t find scaling partners in the Netherlands, I need to look abroad. But where to begin? It’s very nice and important to get time and room financially to sort that out. For the continuation of the project, I will need another grant. I really can’t do without it.'
Have a look at a short film about Nienke’s journey to Taiwan.
Who: EZVR
What: EZVR virtual training generator for complex industrial environments
When: 06-01-2017 – 31-12-2017
Top sector: creative industry
Part MIT-scheme: feasibility study
FEWER WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS DUE TO VIRTUAL REALITY TRAININGS
The two-man enterprise from Tilburg, EZVR, wants to use virtual reality trainings to reduce the number of workplace accidents in high-risk sectors, such as construction, waste processing and industry. The most important causes of accidents are a lack of knowledge and experience and erroneous estimations of situations. Paul Vermeulen of EZVR, an online tool people can use to make their own VR applications, says: 'Virtual reality trainings can be of great help with this because they teach and inform within the realistic context of personal working environments. Many of the current VR trainings focus on more general situations, instead of specific locations or someone’s personal working environment. Additionally, we want to offer a training that can be continually edited and updated by the company itself.'
Many of the current VR trainings are based on general situations and not on work places that are hard to reach, such as in construction
To explore the feasibility of the plan, they had an intern research the needs of potential customers, after their own preparatory process. 'From that, it became clear that they wanted more interaction and more video. The intern made mock-ups of how people can edit our EZVR software themselves in an intelligible manner. As part of the grant, we also took the mock-up to a trade fair where we asked safety convention visitors for their feedback. How easy to use is the tour? Is it self-explanatory? We got a lot of positive reactions and useful suggestions for improvement.'
It was the first time that EZVR received a feasibility grant. In addition, the entrepreneurs made use of the WBSO. 'We coincidentally learned about the MIT-grant. For us, this was a great relief, because there’s only two of us and we don’t have a lot of time to do these kinds of researches next to our daily activities. That’s mainly why we chose to have an intern do them.' The next step now is to refine the current VR platform by finding out how people can best answer questions during the VR training. 'We’ve reserved our own resources for that, so applying for another grant won’t be necessary.'
The summary of MIT 2017 grants can be downloaded here. Want to see more examples of projects from the creative industry? Visit this page. And want to find a subsidy source for your research? Have a look on the schemes & calls page to see if there is a call or scheme open that fits you!
Credits imagery seaweed: Nienke Hoogvliet