Activate Program
Seed Driven Ideation Workshop
(Can Do Method)
Searching for unique value propositions based on technology and research
From “Excellent Technology” to Real-World Value
Groundbreaking research and advanced technology are powerful—
but not always valuable until they’re connected to real needs.
To unlock their potential, we must ask:
Who needs it? Why? And how will it be used?
The Can Do Method helps researchers and developers reframe technical outcomes into simple,
functional terms—“This technology can do X”—
making it easier to explore new applications, communicate across disciplines,
and spark ideas that go beyond the lab.
This workshop equips participants with the skills to uncover unexpected and original uses of their technology,
and to apply the Can Do approach independently after the session.
Workshop Overview
Two days of pursuing unique ideas through practical application of the development method
Workshop Flow (Step-by-Step)
- Step 1
List the “Can Do”s
As a pre-workshop assignment, participants inventory the features of their research or technology and translate them into simple, functional statements—no jargon allowed.
- Step 2
Explore Diverse Applications
Through guided group work, participants brainstorm potential use cases based on the “If it can do this, maybe it can also do that” logic—inviting out-of-the-box thinking and cross-domain inspiration.
- Step 3
Prioritize Opportunities
Evaluate the ideas based on criteria like feasibility and market potential, narrowing them down to testable directions.
- Step4
Build Business Hypotheses
Using a structured framework, participants articulate initial business concepts by identifying customer needs, use contexts, and value propositions.
Can Do Method Approach
Focusing on what technology and research can do, we find unique applications by moving between the concrete and the abstract.
Why the Can Do Method Works
By translating technical features into plain language, researchers gain access to broader perspectives. This enables:
Cross-disciplinary collaboration
Creative idea generation
Practical paths to commercialization
The process involves moving between concrete facts and abstract possibilities, which often leads to novel application ideas that wouldn’t emerge through technical analysis alone.
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