FRANCIS · Project

Citizen-Powered Open Innovation Platform That Produces Affordable Product Prototypes With Business Models

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Imagine you need to design a cheaper, simpler version of a product — say, a ventilator that costs a fraction of the usual price. Instead of locking engineers in a lab, you run an online challenge where everyday people — retirees, parents, minimalists, even people living on tight budgets — pitch their ideas alongside experts. FRANCIS built an online platform that runs exactly these kinds of challenges across 6 countries, turning citizen ideas into real prototypes with draft business plans. The best concepts even get funding to go to market.

By the numbers

Frugal innovation concepts with prototypes per challenge

Concepts receiving commercialization funding per challenge

Consortium partners across 6 countries

Industry partners in the consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies developing products for price-sensitive markets often rely on the same pool of R&D experts who design expensive solutions. They miss the practical insights of the people who actually live on tight budgets — the elderly, large families, and low-income consumers who have been improvising affordable solutions their whole lives. There is no structured, scalable way to tap this citizen knowledge and turn it into viable product concepts.

The solution

What was built

An online open innovation challenge platform tested across 6 countries that engages everyday citizens — including marginalized groups — to co-develop affordable product concepts. Each challenge produces at least 5 frugal innovation prototypes with draft business models, and the 3 best concepts receive dedicated commercialization funding. The project also produced behavioural insights on citizen innovator motivation and support needs.

Audience

Who needs this

Consumer goods companies developing affordable product lines for emerging or price-sensitive marketsCorporate innovation teams seeking methods to engage non-traditional innovatorsSocial enterprises and NGOs building low-cost solutions for underserved communitiesOpen innovation platform operators looking for tested citizen engagement methodologiesMunicipal governments running public innovation challenges

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Consumer Goods

enterprise

Target: Consumer product companies targeting price-sensitive markets

If you are a consumer goods manufacturer struggling to develop affordable product lines for emerging markets — this project built an open innovation challenge platform that taps everyday citizens, including price-conscious consumers, to generate at least 5 frugal product concepts per challenge, each backed by a prototype and draft business model. Three top concepts per challenge receive commercialization funding.

Corporate Innovation Services

mid-size

Target: Innovation consultancies and corporate R&D departments

If you are an innovation consultancy or corporate R&D team looking for fresh methods to source product ideas beyond your usual expert pool — FRANCIS developed a tested online challenge format that engages marginalized and non-traditional innovators across 6 countries. The platform includes industry coaching, behavioural insights on innovator motivation, and a structured pipeline from idea to prototype.

Social Enterprise & Impact

SME

Target: Social enterprises and NGOs developing affordable solutions

If you are a social enterprise developing affordable solutions for underserved communities — FRANCIS created a replicable citizen innovation challenge model tested across both developed and emerging country contexts. Each challenge produces at least 5 prototype concepts with business models, giving you a structured path from community need to viable product.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to use this open innovation platform or method?

Budget figures are not available in the dataset. The platform and challenge methodology were developed under a publicly funded RIA project with 7 partners. Licensing or access terms would need to be discussed directly with the coordinator, Fraunhofer.

Can this scale to run challenges across multiple markets or product lines?

The project ran citizen challenges across 6 countries spanning developed and emerging economies, demonstrating cross-border scalability. The online format inherently removes geographic barriers, and the methodology includes guidance on adapting communication materials for different citizen groups.

Who owns the IP — can a company license the platform or the innovations?

The platform and methodology were developed by a consortium led by Fraunhofer with 4 industry partners. IP arrangements would follow the consortium agreement. Individual frugal innovations produced in challenges may have separate IP considerations depending on participant terms.

How proven are the innovation outputs — are they just ideas or real products?

Each challenge was designed to deliver at least 5 frugal innovation concepts, each supported by a working prototype and a draft business model. Three top concepts per challenge receive dedicated commercialization funding after the challenge ends.

What kinds of citizens participate, and how do you ensure quality?

FRANCIS specifically targeted non-traditional innovators: elderly people, large families, low-income groups, and minimalists. Scientists assisted with idea development, students helped with practical problems, and industry partners provided coaching during challenges to ensure commercial viability.

Does this work for regulated industries like medical devices or food?

The objective references frugal ventilators as an example use case, suggesting applicability to health-adjacent products. However, regulatory compliance for specific sectors would need to be addressed separately — the platform produces prototypes and business models, not certified products.

Consortium

Who built it

The FRANCIS consortium has 7 partners across 6 countries (Austria, Germany, Finland, France, Turkey, UK), led by Fraunhofer — one of Europe's largest applied research organizations. With 4 industry partners (57% industry ratio) and 2 SMEs, this is not a purely academic exercise. The industry-heavy composition signals real commercial intent behind the citizen innovation methodology. The geographic spread across both Western European and Turkish partners reflects the project's goal of bridging developed and emerging market innovation practices.

TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OYparticipant · FI
AGORIZE SASparticipant · FR
HELIOZ GMBHparticipant · AT

How to reach the team

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (DE) — contact via SciTransfer for introduction to the project team

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to run citizen innovation challenges for your product line or license the FRANCIS methodology? SciTransfer can connect you with the Fraunhofer-led team and help structure a collaboration.

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