REIN4CED Co-creation Strategy
REIN4CED was incorporated in January 2015 and has developed and patented a new fiber strengthened composite material and an automated production method for industrial needs in various industries, (including and without being limited thereto), the bicycle industry and industrial projects in the aerospace industry.
REIN4CED recently opened its manufacturing plant in Leuven, BELGIUM with the ambition to start the production of carbon frames for the bicycle industry. Since the launch of REIN4CED, it has always strived to a collaboration with corporates both at the supply side and the buy/demand side.
Such collaboration is necessary for the roll out of the activities and permits REIN4CED to (i) benefit from the know-how and reliability of corporates’ services and capacity, (ii) gain time and efficiency, and (iii) save development costs.
REIN4CED typically enters into co-creation agreements with bicycle brands.
Such brands have the know-how and technology to conceptualize bicycle frames for their customers but rely on different manufacturers for the development of their prototypes and ultimately the manufacturing of bicycle frames tailored to their needs. The collaboration permits REIN4CED to (i) test and improve the core technology, and (ii) apply various fee models.
We spoke with Michaël Callens, Co-founder and CEO of REIN4CED, who shared the following insights regarding co-creation arrangements:
• Freedom to operate: with patented and other intellectual property rights the owner is required to continuously assess the impact which license rights and/or access rights are granted on the core technology.
Maximal freedom to operate should always be the default position in negotiations, with the impact of exclusivity arrangements requiring continuous assessment from a Freedom to Operate perspective.
• Testing and co-ownership: often co-creation starts with the testing of the core technology and the development of prototypes based on such core technology. In such prototyping/testing phase it is of utmost importance to protect the core technology from any co-ownership complications, and carefully think through the desired co-ownership arrangements in respect of the results of the joint prototyping or testing.
• No exclusivity or IP assignment for core technology: licenses on core technology should be constructed as narrowly as possible and certainly avoid exclusivity arrangements, let alone transfer ownership of such core technology to another party.
• Foreground ownership and commercialization: furthermore, parties should determine at the outset of any co-creation effort who will own the jointly developed intellectual property and which use can be made by each party.
• Co-creation contributions: clear arrangements are needed in respect of the contributions to be made by each party, including the contractual consequences of a party not complying with its obligations.