Case Study: Market Opportunity Assessment for Industrial Water Biofilm Solutions

Case Study • Energy & Industrials

Market Opportunity Assessment for Industrial Water Biofilm Solutions

How Avenor helped a sustainable water treatment innovator assess market opportunity through strategic engagement with senior water treatment executives.

Client: A global innovator in sustainable water treatment technologies

The Challenge

Addressing Biofilm in Industrial Water Systems

The client wanted to assess the market opportunity for a novel signal molecule designed to prevent biofilm formation and enhance the effectiveness of biocidal treatments. To do this, they needed perspectives from senior executives and decision-makers at leading industrial water treatment companies.

Key Questions to Address:

🔬

How significant is the biofilm problem across different industrial segments?

⚗️

What solutions are currently being used to address biofilm challenges?

🔗

Could a synergistic additive deliver meaningful value to customers?

🌱

How do sustainability and "green" positioning influence adoption?

The Avenor Solution

Strategic Expert Engagement

Unlike database-driven approaches, Avenor conducted a custom recruitment effort tailored to this client’s needs. To ensure the highest quality insights, Avenor spent ~15 minutes on the phone with each expert prior to introduction.

Our Vetting Process:

Validated Knowledge

Confirmed each expert's direct experience with biofilm challenges and water treatment solutions.

Confirmed Relevance

Verified direct relevance to the project and ability to speak to market dynamics.

Captured Perspectives

Gathered preliminary insights on biofilm challenges before client introduction.

Experts Sourced and Delivered

👤

Vice President of Innovation

Confirmed biofilm is a persistent challenge across many systems, particularly in heating and boiler cooling. Noted that while customers see biofilm as highly important, adoption of new treatments would only occur if they reduce overall costs or improve efficiency.

"The reason you put biocides into your water is to prevent biofilm. An additive would only gain traction if it worked synergistically and lowered the total cost of treatment."

👤

Former Senior Vice President of Chemical and Monitoring Solutions

Highlighted that industries with high organic content, such as food & beverage and pharmaceuticals, face the most severe biofilm problems. Stressed that end customers largely follow their service providers' recommendations.

"Green solutions only gain traction if they perform as well or better than existing treatments, and at the right cost. In Europe, regulations may justify a premium, but in the U.S. very few customers will pay extra just because something is sustainable."

👤

Senior Operational Leader

Described the day-to-day challenges of biofilm at the operations level. Noted the importance of reliable, proven chemical programs, and explained that operators are typically cautious in adopting untested innovations unless they demonstrate clear operational or financial benefits.

The Impact

Actionable Insights for Market Entry

Avenor’s custom recruitment and vetting process enabled the client to connect with highly relevant experts who offered clear, actionable perspectives on the biofilm challenge.

✓

Problem Validated

Confirmed biofilm remains a costly and persistent issue, especially in cooling, boiler, and high-organic-content systems.

💰

Adoption Criteria Clarified

Experts confirmed that adoption of new solutions would depend on measurable cost savings and efficiency gains.

🎯

Go-to-Market Path Defined

Highlighted the need to position any additive through water service providers rather than directly with end customers.

📋

Value Proposition Refined

Gave the client confidence in how to frame their product's value proposition and clarified the path forward for market entry.

Key Takeaways: Avenor's Commitment to Strategic Insight

🎯

Custom Recruit with Precision

Engaging senior executives from leading water treatment companies rather than relying on generic databases.

✓

Guarantee Quality

Spending time with each expert before introduction to ensure insights were relevant and informed.

💡

Deliver Actionable Insight

Providing the client with the knowledge needed to refine their go-to-market approach and evaluate the true market opportunity.

Need Experts for Your Next Project?

Submit your research brief and get matched with pre-vetted experts in 12-24 hours.