SPIN: Explore

• The Commercialisation Pathway: Understand the full journey from scientific discovery to market, and the key milestones that shape a researcher's route from the laboratory to real-world application.
• The Role of the Technology Transfer Office: Learn how TTOs support researchers throughout the commercialisation process and how to engage with them effectively at every stage.
• Applying the Innovation Readiness Level Framework: Discover how the IRL framework provides a structured approach to assessing and advancing the commercial potential of Deep Tech research.

Eva Sandström Halén is currently working as Business Development Coach at KTH Innovation and a KTH Alumni from Mechanical Engineering with a specialization towards Industrial Management.

Her extended milage of industrial experience includes working with consumer products, medical devices, and biotechnology. For more than two decades she has held management positions including being CEO for medium size Swedish subsidiaries of global brands such as Electrolux, Etac and Audika (part of the Demant Group).

Before joining KTH Innovation, she was CEO of the startup Ebba Biotech and in three years took the turnover fund basically zero to 200.00 Euro. Since 2020 she is active as industrialization advisor on the board of the Chalmers scale up Mimbly.

She likes to combine long term strategy with short term action and result and lives by the motto: ”Team is everything – it's the people we work with that makes every day a fun adventure.“

• Introduction to the Lean Canvas Business Model: Learn how the Lean Canvas is applied in a science first context, guided by an experienced practitioner in Deep Tech commercialisation.
• Business Tools for Researchers: Explore practical business-building frameworks designed specifically for scientists at the earliest stages of commercialisation.
• Mapping Research to Commercial Contexts: Discover how to identify the problems your science is positioned to solve and begin shaping the foundations of a credible commercial case.

Steve Mullen is the founder of Sequoralab Consulting and creator of the Impact Innovation Canvas -- a front-end innovation framework designed to help deep-tech teams articulate and communicate their value before the business model conversation begins.

Delivering innovation workshops for Fraunhofer AHEAD and other impact-driven cohorts & accelerators across Europe, Steve works at the intersection of research commercialisation, innovation strategy and lab-to-market thinking. His MSc research, completed in 2026, examined how the Impact Innovation Canvas helps deep-tech teams structure and communicate how they capture value, for whom and why -- bridging the gap between scientific invention and commercialisation readiness, with statistically significant results.

From London, he is now based in Lima, Peru, and works with research institutes, accelerators and innovation programmes across the EU ecosystem.

• Structured Problem Framing: Learn how to diagnose pain points and user needs using structured problem framing techniques adapted for research-based innovation.
• Scientific Problems and Market Problems: Understand the critical distinction between scientific challenges and market problems, and how to navigate both.
• User Research for Scientists: Explore how user interviews and needs mapping can be applied to validate assumptions and identify the key user groups your research can serve.

Stephan Botz is the co-founder of Gritd and one of the driving forces behind milestone-driven startup development in Europe. Having contributed to the launch of over 1,000 startups, Stephan brings a decade of experience in guiding founders toward product–market fit and investment readiness. He has contributed to the data-driven approach of venture building in Europe based on the analysis of over 3.500 startups. Helping reduce risk and accelerate growth in any stage of the startup lifecycle. Driven by the belief that Europe’s next wave of innovation will come from ventures built on real market demand, he continues to push venture development toward measurable impact.

• Engineering the Value Proposition: Learn how the Value Proposition Canvas is used to build a clear and credible value proposition rooted in research-based innovation.
• From Technology Features to User Benefits: Discover how to translate scientific capabilities into tangible benefits and articulate the jobs to be done for target users.
• Meeting Investor and TTO Expectations: Understand how to evaluate a value proposition against the criteria that matter most to investors and technology transfer offices.

Ritalba Lamendola has a dual background in science and business, holding a PhD in Chemistry and a DBA focused on business model design in deep-tech start-ups and scale-ups. She brings strong technical and scientific competences in materials science, with broad experience translating innovation into market-ready solutions across MedTech, Microelectronics, Photonics, CE sectors.10 years as a tenured professor and materials science researcher and 10 years in high-tech and chemical multinationals in global executive roles in product industrialization, as BU global marketing manager, and head of global healthcare business.

She is Expert at Innosuisse, Business Coach at EIC, for Accelerator, PathFinder, Transition, STEP instruments, Advisor and Mentor to C-Suite at EIC Scaling Club for HealthCare Group, Coach and Jury Member at TechTour, Venture Competition, MassChallenge, Mentor at Tech4Regen-EPFL Innovation Park, Expert at Solar Impulse Foundation.

She runs Eveura Sarl, a Switzerland based advisory firm in Business Model Design. to SMEs, Start-Ups and Scale-Ups in Healthcare, Chemicals, Optoelectronics, Microelectronics, CE, from early innovation through industrialization and commercialization.

She collaborates with Grenoble Ecole de Management on research on Business Model Design and Entrepreneurship in high-tech start-ups and with Journal of Business Models (Aalborg University, Denmark) as Member of the Editorial Board, she has a guest lecturer at Grenoble Ecole de Management, Speaker at International Conferences on Business Models.

• Identifying Early Adopters: Learn how to identify and prioritise early adopters for Deep Tech innovation and why they are critical to first traction.
• Market Segmentation for Deep Tech: Explore how market segmentation frameworks can be applied to research-based ventures to define a credible first-mover segment.
• Mapping the Innovation Ecosystem: Discover how to map the relevant ecosystem of industry partners, regulators, investors, and end users surrounding a Deep Tech innovation.

Manuel Hösle works as an investment and venture advisor at the intersection of deep tech research, venture building, and market adoption. He collaborates closely with researchers, and founders who are exploring how their work can create value beyond the lab.

In his work, Manuel helps teams make sense of this transition — whether they start with a strong technology looking for a market, or with an initial market opportunity that still needs the right technical shape. Drawing on his own startup experience and years of venture building work, he brings a practical, hands on perspective. What drives him is helping teams gain clarity: about who their solution is really for, why it matters, and how it can gain traction in the real world.

• Storytelling for Scientists: Learn how to translate complex scientific work into compelling narratives that resonate with non-scientific audiences.
• Communicating Beyond Academia: Discover science communication techniques tailored for investors, industry partners, funders, and policy makers.
• Strategic Stakeholder Engagement:Explore how to develop a communication strategy that builds meaningful engagement with stakeholders across the Deep Tech ecosystem.

Dr. Mirko Bischofberger is an expert in science communication with more than 20 years of experience. He's a lecturer at EPFL, ETH Zurich, University of Basel and University of Zurich. Mirko studied molecular biology and specialised in computational biology during his PhD. After working for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and the Swiss Parliament, he joined the SNSF and EPFL. He has won numerous communication grants and awards and works for several funding agencies such as the ERC, the SNSF and the FWF.