Below are selected examples of work Accelligent has done in the past.

Cluster Strategy and Roadmap

Client: European National Life Science Cluster 

Project Description 

The stakeholders of a European national life science sector were concerned that there was not enough entrepreneurship and growth within the industry. Accelligent was engaged to assess the current "health" of the life science industry cluster, and to provide recommendations for programs and activities that would help stimulating innovation.

Approach

Accelligent employed their proprietary SectorStim tm process in order to develop a cluster and innovation strategy for the country. The following steps were applied:

1. Profiling and Mapping the Industry.  Identified and described the key participants and stakeholders of the industry and the networks, inter-relationships, and frameworks in which they operate. Accelligent's Business Creation Value Chain (BCVC) model was utilized, to include all relevant stakeholders with specific emphasis on entrepreneurship, business growth and new technology commercialization.              
2. Survey Accelligent identified the strengths and weaknesses of the "innovation and entrepreneurship system "through the eyes of the participants and stakeholders. The objective was to identify what works, what does not work, as a basis for a cluster development plan.              
3. Benchmark and GAP Analysis. Comparison against, and assessment of other comparable systems/clusters that have successfully stimulated and accelerated innovation and entrepreneurship. Goal was to identify programs, processes, frameworks and resources that the client might adopt to stimulate their own life science sector.       
4. Strategic Recommendations and Action Plan. Provided a diagnosis of the health of the current life science industry focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship, based on all input gained, to determine:
   • How the cluster measured up to other similar clusters (Comparative Analysis) based on a number of cluster dynamics / metrics.
   • Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the growth of the cluster (SWOT Analysis)
   • The missing elements from the current system and framework (GAP Analysis)
   • Prioritized action plan for cluster development

Deliverable  

The final delivery was a comprehensive document and series of presentations to industry and government representatives, providing recommendations and action plan for improving support programs, networks, and activities geared to help foster innovation within the sector. Included were practical suggestions, tools, and case studies from other clusters which would serve to help stimulate innovation and growth within the national cluster.

Gap Analysis and Competitive Benchmarking

Client: Regional International Trade & Economic Development Organization

Project Description 

A regional Trade and Economic Development Group was considering employing several new initiatives and investments to stimulate the growth of their marine biotechnology cluster, including the development of a new science park/incubator.  They approached Accelligent to get an overview of the leading marine biotechnology clusters worldwide, as a means for comparison and benchmarking to their own cluster. The information generated from this study was intended to feed into a country-wide strategic work under development, to identify the best way to position, structure, and support the marine biotech cluster in nationwide. 

Approach

In order for Accelligent to a do comprehensive scan and benchmarking of relevant clusters, we utilized our SectorStim methodology as a working framework. Based on the practical nature of the assignment and requirement for actionable results, we focused more on the ‚"soft metrics"‚ for providing an overview and understanding of the health and stage of development of the clusters identified, providing a more accurate measure of forward momentum and future growth potential for the clusters. 

Deliverable 

Accelligent delivered a comprehensive overview and description of the leading marine biotechnology clusters worldwide, detailing the following parameters:               

• Identification and description of leading marine biotech cluster/region/country
• Leading sector initiatives and programs
• R&D focus areas and research infrastructure
• Funding  commitments, programs and current/future strategic direction
• Notable collaborations and agreements
• Driving forces and unique competitive situations
• Success factors

In addition, we provided the client with our qualified perspective on how the various national and regional marine biotech clusters compared and ranked with each other in terms of development and momentum, based on their key strengths and metrics chosen for the analysis. Finally, we offered an assessment of where the client‚Äôs cluster fit within the global cluster ranking, and provided suggestions for ways to improve their cluster, flagging issues we deemed critical to the growth of their cluster.   

Cluster Scan, Competitive Benchmarking, Gap Analysis and Strategy Recommendation 

Client: North American Cluster (Food and Life Science) 

Project Description

The client engaged Accelligent to benchmark its current cluster against leading and comparative food and life science clusters in North America and worldwide. Accelligent provided the client with a global cluster scan and comparative assessment that would feed into the client's strategic cluster development work. The information was used to create a strategy and action plan for positioning, structuring, and supporting the client's cluster. 

Approach

Accelligent utilized the SectorStim cluster development methodology in order to conduct a comprehensive scan of leading and comparable clusters, and provided appropriate benchmark metrics for comparison to the client's cluster.

Deliverable

Accelligent provided the client with information and detail as follows:

• Core cluster activities and technology focus, best practice programs, tools and initiatives.
• Perceived Cluster Positioning
• Major participants / industry
• Unique infrastructure arrangement (programs, incubators, R&D resources)
• Competitive advantages

In addition to a Best of Breed cluster scan, Accelligent also provided the client with a comparative analysis of its cluster against the clusters identified, and conducted an Opportunity Assessment in order to provide recommendations for further development of the cluster. Included in the Opportunity Assessment were key resource areas that were currently underexploited or missing, areas identified as strategically important, and programs and resources suggested for further development (GAP analysis).

Industry Sector Mapping 

Client: National Government

Project Description

A federal government wanted to create a comprehensive inventory and profile of all the Functional Food and Nutraceutical-related companies, organizations and institutions in the country. This was to be used as a national database for networking, promotion, and other cluster development objectives. Accelligent was engaged to identify all companies and organizations not already known to the client, who would fall within the industry definitions, including manufacturers, companies, trade groups, R&D institutes and universities, distributors and contract manufacturers.

Approach              

Accelligent did a comprehensive review of the existing database provided by the client, and through additional primary and secondary research, was able to identify new a large number of unknown industry participants within the sector, valuably augmenting information currently available. Further on, Accelligent developed a detailed methodology for organizing and structuring the database according to focus area, size, export markets, etc, increasing the usability, customization and targeting of the database.

Deliverable

Accelligent provide the client with a top-level overview of the country‚Äôs industry structure, based on the data provided and collected.  In addition, we developed a comprehensive database of companies and organizations including company detail, searchable by Location, Nature of Business, and other key parameters.  The deliverable also included a description of each company in the database, listing products, alliances, date of incorporation, number of employees, export status, and other market info, where available.              

Cluster Mapping 

Client: Regional Government 

Project Description

The client had previously created a directory of stakeholders in a life science segment. As a continuation to this, Accelligent was asked to provide additional depth to the directory process, in order to identify, map and visualize the various sector constellations in the region, utilizing GIS software to develop an expandable set of tools to visually map and analyze the regional industry and cluster.

Approach

Accelligent worked closely with the client to help develop a system for collecting and classifying the regional cluster/industry participants. In order to be able to provide an analytical depth to the data, a wide range of variables were structured, including focus area, nature of organization, size, etc. Once the dataset was appropriately collected and structured, the data was handed over to Accelligent for analysis and manipulation, utilizing GIS software.

Deliverable

Utilizing GIS software, Accelligent developed a comprehensive set of visual maps showing the current structure of the cluster / industry. Based on Accelligent‚Äôs analysis of the data, the maps provided a snapshot of the industry based on specific location and aggregation, screened according to size of organizations, nature of organizations, geographic location, industry gravitation, etc., and provided a useful tool for further cluster analysis and tracking over time. 

Industry Stakeholder Feedback and Strategy Development

Client: A Regional Research Council

Project Description  

Accelligent's client was a Human and Animal Health unit within a regional Research Council. The client is operating as a for-fee service provider with an overall mandate to help the regional industry to grow and be competitive in the global economy.  Accelligent was engaged to help the Research Council identify current and future technical needs and gaps related to R&D, commercialization and business support that could be considered for implementation as a part of their future strategy to offer the most appropriate services to advance the local industry.

Approach and Deliverable

We approached the task in a Step-by-Step approach:

• Developed a comprehensive market and industry trend overview to set a proper working framework, and to be able to adequately probe the local industry regarding future needs and interests, based on collective forward looking industry trends.
• Mapped and described industry human and animal health stakeholders and participants throughout the country.
• Prioritized contacts based on influence, size, and importance to client.
• Conducted personal interviews via personal contact and phone (primary), and developed and executed an on-line survey (secondary), to identify and describe current and future technical needs, business development opportunities, and collaboration leads in the region and surrounding areas.
• Identified, summarized and prioritized the top 15 market opportunities and needs, based on the collective industry input and alignment with industry trends. 
• Provided findings and strategic recommendations to client, for further consideration.

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