title: Challenges in Commercializing Biomimetic Membranes.
abstract: The discovery of selective water channel proteins-aquaporins-has prompted growing interest in using these proteins, as the building blocks for designing new types of membranes. However, as with any other new and potentially disruptive technology, barriers for successful market entry exist. One category includes customer-related barriers, which can be influenced to some extent. Another category includes market-technical-related barriers, which can be very difficult to overcome by an organization/company aiming at successfully introducing their innovation on the market-in particular if both the organization and the technology are at early stages. Often, one faces barriers from both these categories at the same time, which makes it necessary to gain insight of the particular market when introducing a new innovative product. In this review we present the basic concepts and discuss some of these barriers and challenges associated with introducing biomimetic aquaporin membranes. These include technical issues in membrane production and product testing. Then we discuss possible business models for introducing new technologies in general, followed by a presentation of beach-head market segments relevant for biomimetic aquaporin membranes.
authors.affiliation: Aquaporin Asia, 1 Clean Tech Loop, CleanTech One #03-05, Singapore 63714, Singapore. mpe@aquaporin.asia.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: Aquaporin A/S, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, Copenhagen N DK2200, Denmark. sum@aquaporin.dk.
authors.forename: Steen Ulrik
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.affiliation: Aquaporin A/S, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, Copenhagen N DK2200, Denmark. tjo@aquaporin.dk.
authors.forename: Tine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.affiliation: Aquaporin A/S, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, Copenhagen N DK2200, Denmark. sbr@aquaporin.dk.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braekevelt
authors.affiliation: DSS, A Tetra Pak Company, Bergsøesvej 17, Silkeborg DK-8600, Denmark. Karsten.Lauritzen@tetrapak.com.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lauritzen
authors.affiliation: Aquaporin A/S, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, Copenhagen N DK2200, Denmark. clhe@env.dtu.dk.|Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, Maribor 2000, Slovenia. clhe@env.dtu.dk.|Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet 115, Lyngby 2800 Kgs., Denmark. clhe@env.dtu.dk.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hélix-Nielsen
keywords: aquaporin membranes; biomimetics; commercialization; early stage technology