Interview

Hrvoje Jasak & Marko Horvat - WIKKI

How do you currently assess the status of VIPCOAT as a project? Are the VIPCOAT platform and the project accelerating the development of your company? What is the status today and what do you expect for the future?
The VIPCOAT project is in excellent shape and, in my opinion, has exceeded its initial promises. The platform is now ready for critical testing and demonstration to both internal and external partners of the project. We have introduced an innovative approach to innovation, and once users become familiar with the technical aspects, I am sure they will find useful functionalities within the OIP.

The future seems quite bright. The platform improves as more people use it since the public contributions can be reused by others. Every created service and each documented dataset becomes reusable by the community. With this in mind I am pretty sure WIKKI will discover numerous interesting applications of the platform to our core business.

Do you think the size of the company is crucial to the success of the project? Does the OIP platform help you individually as a small or medium-sized company?
I believe that the platform, at least in the near future, will primarily benefit SMEs. While there are benefits the OIP provides for bigger companies, I think they will stick to using their own innovation platforms. This trend is likely to persist until the OIP is rigorously tested, thoroughly evaluated by SMEs and starts producing valuable results for its users. For SMEs, the platform offers a significant advantage by providing access to collaborative opportunities and innovative resources that they might not otherwise have. I believe WIKKI is a good example of such companies.

What specific advantages do you see for yourself as a member of the consortium as a result of your participation?
This is the first time that WIKKI is involved in software development of Open Innovation Platform. We see the benefit of such approaches, and this allows us to offer our own simulation capabilities under a new user-friendly interface. We expect an increased demand for simulation services in the new framework. The Open Innovation Platform needs maintenance and support beyond the duration of the project which can be provided by WIKKI.

In the forms of project implementation: How were your teams able to implement the requirements? What is your forecast for the open innovation approach or the digitalization of materials?
Digitalization is really important because it opens opportunities for collaboration at a level beyond individual companies. While materials aren't the core focus of WIKKI, I believe that the industry has reached a commendable level of digital maturity. The OIP has the potential to serve as a central hub, coordinating various digital services and data providers in the field.

What social impact would have VIPCOAT project and/or the OIP in terms of open innovation and industrial leadership in the EU? Would it provide a shift/ further development for your company?
The main result of the VIPCOAT project is the OIP based on the Quadruple Helix innovation framework. The platform promotes projects that extend beyond the needs and interests of industry and academy. It enables society to provide feedback on projects and halt them if they don’t see sufficient benefit, ensuring that the projects hosted on the OIP are socially valuable. Within the framework, the projects must comply with governmental regulations aligning the results with the latest rules and regulations. I believe this makes a healthy environment where project results are driven not only by industrial and academic goals, but also by enhanced social impact.

Can the open innovation platform accelerate further development of your company?
Of course. The platform is engineered to foster creativity and innovation among its users, with an emphasis on user flexibility. This means that the platform can be used to build use cases tailored to the unique needs and desires of its users. If we manage to cultivate a strong community behind the VIPCOAT platform, keep the platform alive, and advance it to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), we can unlock substantial potential. The possibilities that the OIP offers could be vast.

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