Definition of groundbreaking technology

Groundbreaking technology refers to technology that is based on new research breakthroughs or significantly further developed research results, which have the potential to lead to utility through fundamental changes in products, processes, services or systems.

Groundbreaking technology is characterized by the fact that it can enable new capabilities or provide leapfrog performance increases, often with the potential to radically improve entire application areas, value chains or societal functions.

Groundbreaking technologies often have the following characteristics:

• New functional principle or product design: based on new concepts, materials, methods or system solutions that open for something that was not previously possible.
• Leapfrog effect: leads to technological leaps in the form of better results or changes fundamental limitations. This can be, for example, about speed, precision, energy consumption and robustness.
• Long-term sustainability: a technology that is to be groundbreaking in the long term must be sustainable from a social, economic and ecological perspective.

Clusters may focus on research that has low technical maturity, which involves risk-taking and uncertain outcomes and impact. In order for these to be granted, the potential for success must be high.