The scope of this section is to give a general account of how the
exploitation strategy evolved during the execution of the project and of the facts and reasons that led the Contractors to adopt the strategy which is presented in the Exploitation Plan.
The evolution of the strategy passed through the following principal stages:
• The first version was based on a "business oriented" approach, which was assuming the set-up of a structure or organisation to provide the end-users and the insurance business with the methods, training, assistance, topical value added services, a quality certification of the SHE-performance based on how the SPASE methodology was implemented in the user company, and the maintaining of a SPASE blueprint. Software would have been developed to support this approach. This idea required the early start of activities in parallel to the project (such as software development) – one problem with this approach was the early availability of funds to support it.
• The discussions among the partners led to renouncing the ambitious initial approach, leaving it as a possible solution to be adopted after at least one year after project completion. It was considered to be too risky prior to having matured the understanding of the actual capabilities of the "SPASE product" and the willingness of the potential users to adopt SPASE as their SHE working tool.
• Further considerations based on the analysis of the results from the SPASE survey led to the decision to delay the decisions on which actual strategy to adopt. The full definition of the methodology and its judgement by external peers was considered to be a prerequisite to proceed.
• A set of contacts with potential users confirmed some of the basic assumptions behind the first strategy proposal by indicating that many of them would not have used the SPASE methodology without
support from a SHE consultant This was taken into account when defining the exploitation strategy.
The present exploitation plan is based on the following principal facts and Contractors’ opinions.
• The SPASE deliverables include a final refined draft of the whole methodology in the form of two user manuals – the SPASE Guidebook and the SPASE Workbook. All other publications and articles written during the project can be distributed freely and are outside the scope of the exploitation plan.
• The SPASE methodology is judged to be useful and effective but not necessarily very appealing to the users mostly due to a certain
complexity, which, however, is considered almost unavoidable if it is to be effective.
• The input from users and peers indicates the need for national versions, which implies further work and funds for translations, and for introducing the references to the national legislation of each country.
• The estimated number of possible users makes the publication of the draft SPASE manuals in the form of books economically non- appealing. This is based on the assumption that the unit price should be a few hundred Euros and on the fact that none of the Contractors have a sales department suitable to handle this kind of business.
• The availability of a software tool is considered to be very important if the international version of the SPASE system is to be widely used – the development of such tool would require not less than 200 000 € and more than 300 000 € for a full implementation including on-line Internet interactivity.
• The partners are willing to exploit the project, but they may not have the necessary financial resources for it (taking into account the various possibilities, e.g. books only, books + software, books + services, etc.).
The following scale of preferable means to exploit the Project results has been agreed upon:
1. One or more Contractors using the project deliverables in their own national implementations with possible further developments not involving the SPASE exploitation partners. This means that national versions in different languages and based on national legislation will be developed. This was the preferred option among the companies involved in testing the SPASE methodology and the peers that evaluated it.
2. One or more Contractors using the project deliverables in their own IT-implementations with possible further developments not involving the SPASE exploitation partners. This means that national and
international IT-versions will be developed. This was the original exploitation idea when the Project was initiated.
3. One of more Contractors carrying out a direct exploitation of the Project results with royalties distributed to the other Contractors which may work also on further developments.
4. A joint exploitation with only some of the Contractors playing a role for further development and some of them as active parties in selling the product(s) and assisting the users.
5. The same as 4 but in which all Contractors are involved.
6. Exploitation limited to use of the methodology and the acquired knowledge to deliver services or as the basis for further
developments.
7. Any exploitation will be subject to the rules and terms contained in the EC contract and in the Exploitation Agreement.
The Exploitation Plan has been developed to maximise the chances that the project is exploited with the above list of priorities and within the technical, legal and economic constraints.
The Project exploitation will be dependent on the possibility to carry out one or more of the following developments:
• National versions of the SPASE manuals,
• IT-version of the SPASE methodology and manuals,
• Refinement of the final SPASE manuals into printed books.