The BEAGLE project kick-off at the URV, pioneering the Blue Oceans Strategy for Value Creation

The BEAGLE project, also known as the Blue Oceans Strategy for Value Creation, has officially embarked on its journey to revolutionise value creation through innovative methodologies. Funded by the European Research Executive Agency and led by Rovira i Virgili University, this project aims to demonstrate the improvement that has been made in productivity and efficiency in the processes of knowledge valorisation and value creation in the link between academia and industry. Specifically, it focuses on increasing collaboration between universities and research centres, on the one hand, and industry, on the other, to build a community in those European countries and industrial sectors that identify new market niches and sustainable ways of creating value. 

The BEAGLE project consortium consists of nine partners from seven countries: the Rovira i Virgili University, the University of West Bohemia (Czech Republic), and the University West (Sweden); the technological centre Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia (Spain); and the participating clusters are Cleantech Bulgaria Foundation (Bulgaria), Nextmove (France), F6S Network Ireland Limited (Ireland), Association of Chemical Industry of the Czech Republic (Czech Republic), and UNIMOS Alliance (Poland). 

The official kick-off meeting held at the URV’s Faculty of Economics and Business in Reus, Spain on 30 and 31 January, marked the commencement of the project and laid the groundwork for the collaborative efforts to come. 

Consortium members participating in the kick-off meeting of the BEAGLE project. 

During the three years of the project, BEAGLE’s mission is to construct a network of interdisciplinary experts and industry stakeholders, discover 20 new market niches, known as Blue Oceans, and co-create 20 innovation proposals with specific roadmaps. By fostering collaboration among academia, technology centres, and business clusters, BEAGLE aims to facilitate the emergence of sustainable value chains and drive innovation in untapped markets. 

Strategic Objectives & an Innovative Methodology 

Throughout the BEAGLE project, emphasis will be on three key strategic objectives: discovering opportunities through co-creation activities, co-creating innovation proposals, and consolidating 20 new innovative market niches to attract investment. 

The consortium consists of key stakeholders who are all involved in the innovation processes. These include universities, technology centres and business clusters, which will work together to develop action plans designed to strengthen partnerships between academia and industry. These action plans will facilitate the consolidation of collaborations between project partners. 

To achieve these objectives, the consortium will employ a co-creation experiment for disruptive innovation known as the Blue Oceans Strategy. This innovative methodology involves companies pioneering new demand in previously untapped markets, as opposed to competing with existing demand in saturated markets. By adopting this approach, companies stand to realise a higher return on investment, thereby driving the creation of sustainable value. 

The leader of the BEAGLE project, the lecturer and researcher Xiaoni Li from the URV’s Department of Business Management provides insights into the project’s ambitious goals: “This project is the start of an exciting adventure focused on disruptive innovation with blue ocean strategy. Through a co-creation experiment, BEAGLE aims to increase collaboration between universities and research centres, on the one hand, and industry, on the other, to build a community in seven European countries and industrial sectors that identifies new market niches and sustainable ways of creating value.” 

Implementation and Continuity 

To facilitate project implementation, the BEAGLE project will use a dedicated marketplace linked to the F6S platform, which boasts 4.4 million members, so that results and lessons learned can be shared. This platform will ensure the project’s continuity beyond its funding period, and foster ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange among stakeholders.