News

AI4CCAM interviewed Nafsica Papakosta, Project Manager and Communications Specialist at INLECOM, leader of the WP5, which involves Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation for the AI and CCAM ecosystems.

In this interview, Nafsica addresses the methodology employed to identify and assess the outcomes of the AI4CCAM project with the greatest exploitation and innovation potential.

What is the purpose of the AI4CCAM’s Innovation & Exploitation Methodology?
As AI4CCAM’s Innovation and Exploitation Manager, INLECOM employs the Innovation & Exploitation Methodology (IEM), a well-established and validated framework to efficiently address the AI4CCAM project’s objectives in the areas of Exploitation, Innovation Registry, and Patent Filing. This methodology enables the documentation and evaluation of all project outcomes based on the owners’ input, with the purpose of producing a collection of outcomes and assessing their potential for innovation and exploitation. The AI4CCAM IEM is comprised of 3 phases and is being used to account for both exploitable and innovative project outcomes.

How does the Outcomes Registry phase of the IEM methodology work?
The initial phase of the IEM focuses on the completion of the Outcomes Registry via a web form that consists of 11 to 15 questions which help us pinpoint AI4CCAM’s innovative outcome(s) and key exploitative results filled out by project partners The Outcomes Registry is essentially a list of significant expected project outcomes together with preliminary descriptions of their characteristics. Partners submit their expected outcomes to the registry and assist in categorizing outcomes according to a certain exploitation path. The first phase of AI4CCAM’s IEM Methodology identified 11 expected Key Exploitable Results (KERs).
A feedback procedure will then be established to assist partners in better addressing difficulties, exploitation queries, and concerns. Based on the material collected, the initial Innovation & Exploitation assessment is performed, based on seven criteria: Solution Readiness, Anticipated market Interest, Anticipated size of the market in question, Level of innovation, Competitive landscape, Market readiness, and Solution reproducibility and re-usability.

What is the purpose of the AI4CCAM Innovation Registry and how will the decision on which patents to file be made?
On the innovation, IP, and IPR management front, INLECOM will use its experience as an Innovation Manager to help establish the AI4CCAM Innovation Registry, which will include novel AI-driven models used in safety-critical CCAM applications.
The methodology for cataloguing and supporting AI4CCAM outputs with high innovation potential will be provided in the third phase of the IEM. The AI4CCAM consortium partners will be able to fully explore and comprehend the innovation potential of their IP assets as a direct result of the innovation management initiatives guided by INLECOM, which will evaluate the outcomes’ innovation and commercial ambitions. A preliminary assessment of the outcomes’ innovative dimension will take place using the criteria of utility, novelty, and non-obviousness.
We will then be collaboratively evaluating, scoring, and prioritizing the areas where we will focus the IP related actions that have a planned commercial trajectory and/or strategic interest to AI4CCAM partners.
INLECOM intends to formally protect the AI4CCAM outputs through the submission and issuance of two patents. Our work will be guided by the EU’s legislative framework and the patent filing procedural requirements, as well as significant experience from past projects.