Nine out of ten innovations fail. Often because a prototype is not sufficiently tested before it is put on the market. Usually there is user research and tested in the lab or prototype work done, but much less frequently prototypes really tested in practice before the leap to the market. Inno-Quarter changes this and put some leading European festivals to test innovations. Participating festivals make their festival open as a living laboratory. So, startups, SMEs and research institutes thoroughly test their prototypes in practice before they go to market. This works because a festival is a temporary miniature society. Just like in real life there are challenges in areas such as energy and waste and food.. Also festival visitors behave in a certain sense the same as in the real world: they move, eat and sleep. The difference with the real world is that there is a fence around the festival site. That makes festivals a perfect test environment to collaborate on prototypes and experimental techniques. And as an innovation works in a festival, it can also work in the real world.
What we look at
If you apply for Inno-Quarter we look at:
1. The prototype is innovative
2. Testing at a festival has clear added value
3. The prototype (in the future) a business case
4. The prototype bears (in the future) to a better world (UN Goals)
When the IQ team thinks your prototype based on these four criteria to help, you become associated with an innovation scout. Innovation scout supports you in finding the right test question. Then the innovation scout connects you to the festival that best fits the test question. After testing evaluates innovation scout with you and see how our network can further help on the way.
Inno-Quarter participation is free. The cost of building the prototype for startups, businesses, entrepreneurs and students who bring the prototype. Inno-Quarter also has a manufacturing and hospitality budget to allow for the tests at the festival.
1. Scouting and Application
2. Matchmaking
3. Go to festival