Idea creation and
implementation for innovation
K3 project:
Creation of new business
to reform the water infrastructure of the city
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Process Design
Future city dwellers x creation of
1,040 new business ideas with technology
Analyzed survey of consumer point of view and technical point of view, and created business ideas over alignment of possible techniques and utilization based on concrete future of urban life images. In addition, also forced ideas using inspiration cards for analogy utilization, and even dared idea generation that was more than a stereotype. As a result of repeated examination, 1,040 business ideas were created.
Then, the 1,040 pieces of ideas were reviewed from over 40 in-house experts from each department in relation to feasibility and profitability. Based on the results, such as novelty and social impact, and whether there is any meaning for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries group to do this as a new business and such; it was scrutinized from various angles and in the end was narrowed down to two business ideas.
Bussiness Design
Business model of the futuristic water supply
and sewerage infrastructure system
One of the final ideas, a “private water system (hereinafter, PWS)” is a futuristic water supply and sewerage infrastructure system operated by a private company, targeting buildings and residential lands in the urban areas on a scale of several thousand people.
The two features of PWS can be broken down in two major parts.
One is the purification and circulation of the water that is used in buildings and residential areas in the "modular type system", where domestic wastewater (bath, toilet, kitchen, etc.) is highly treated using state-of-the-art technology (RO membrane, etc.), until the water quality surpasses what is demanded with tap water, and circulates and supplies according to the water quality and water quantity demanded. The other one is the "drainage side billing system", which is not charged like water depending on usage, but is charged depending on the amount of waste water and water quality. Since the water cost will be cheaper if one uses the required water without dirtying it, it will heighten the incentive for one to carefully use water.
Realizing
Rights established in two months after patent application
For the two business ideas which are the product of the K3 project including PWS, in order to secure the option of competitive advantage and business model of the idea itself, a total of 20 patent applications have been made (15 for PWS, 5 for other ideas).
For PWS patents, by utilizing the "super accelerated examination", the rights of the two main cases were obtained in just two months from the time of application. All that was filed to the present time, in other words, a total of 15 rights have been finalized.
In new business creation projects which are high in uncertainty, the fact that a patent, which was one of the in-house metrics, assured the feasibility and novelty of business idea, has become a booster of full-scale business study.
* Since there are many confidential matters in the project content,
there are some contents that are different from the actual details.