About the Episode
In this episode of The Grant, host Niels Tudor-Vinther continues his Implementation Series with a practical guide to exploitation in EU-funded projects. He is joined by Ana-Marija Špicnagel, Director at IPS Konzalting, to explore how project results move from paper to real-world use.
Episode #239 · Published 2026-08-24 · Runtime 1h 17min
The conversation starts with the basics: communication tells people what the project is doing, dissemination shares its results, while exploitation is about somebody actually using those results. And that does not necessarily mean selling a product — exploitation can be commercial, regulatory, educational, organisational or linked to further research, depending on the project and the expected outcome. From there, Niels and Ana-Marija dig into implementation, discussing how to identify key exploitable results, when to start talking about commercialisation and IP, and how to align partners with very different motivations.
Key Topics Covered
- The difference between communication, dissemination and exploitation — and why exploitation means someone actually using the results.
- Why exploitation does not necessarily mean selling a product.
- The many forms exploitation can take: commercial, regulatory, educational, organisational or linked to further research.
- Identifying key exploitable results when many are not visible at proposal stage.
- Designing for exploitation from day one, and when to raise commercialisation and IP with partners.
- The consortium challenge: aligning researchers, SMEs and other partners with different motivations.
- Involving stakeholders early enough for their feedback to shape the result.
- A concrete working rhythm for exploitation throughout a project — and life after the funding stops.
Why You Should Listen
This is a practical conversation for EU project and funding professionals. Rather than treating exploitation as another Excel sheet or polished deliverable, Ana-Marija explains why the real objective is creating something that somebody wants to use — and ideally something that can keep living after the funding ends. If you plan, coordinate or deliver EU-funded projects, this episode offers a clear, actionable rhythm for turning results into real adoption.
This episode is brought to you by The Grant, hosted by Niels Tudor-Vinther. Listen to the full conversation on Spotify and explore more episodes at thegrant.eu. And if you are ready to turn strong exploitation planning into smoother project delivery, EMDESK can help you manage your consortium, planning and reporting all in one place.
