Find New Applications for your Technology

Eta plus was seeking new applications for their power converters. Through our OI Council network NineSigma found a partner with complementary technology. The two companies signed a commercial partnership and launched a new EV charging, energy sourcing and storage product on the market. From suggesting the idea to launching the product took only 12 months.

Why this challenge?

In mid-2020, eta plus electronic GmbH, part the German IST METZ Group, the market leader in industrial UV technology, challenged our global innovation community to generate ideas for alternative technology applications for their power converters.

eta plus Managing director Dirk Heers: To extend our innovative product portfolio, we started to brainstorm in our company for new technology applications in the field of innovative power electronics.

Results

NineSigma’s OIC network enhanced the brainstorming and generated over 60 new ideas. One of the respondents, Ambibox GmbH an innovative start-up in the area of power electronics, suggested an innovative product that combined the expertise of the two companies. The partners signed a commercial cooperation agreement five months later.

In 2021 they started the production of DC-Wallbox – an innovative solution for home charging of electric vehicles, battery and energy management. In addition to charging an electric vehicle, it allows a connection to PV-installation both for energy sourcing and energy storage.

“Having worked successfully with NineSigma in a previous technology project, we considered the possibility of using the OI Council to get new ideas in that field. With the support of NineSigma, we were able to get immediate access to interested partners, which resulted in a partnership with Ambibox GmbH. As a result, we are extending our production portfolio for eta plus electronic GmbH. We thank NineSigma for the speedy, pragmatic and innovative support, which we could experience throughout this project.”

– Dirk Heers, Managing director, eta plus electronic GmbH

“With eta plus electronic GmbH we have found a partner who complements us and we can combine our strengths for market success. Coming from different market areas and applications, but with similar power electronics technologies, OICouncil as an open innovation platform helped us to understand this and find the way to come together. Openness, thinking outside the box and being able to share ideas is the strength of these kinds of platforms.”

– Manfred Przybilla, CEO, AmbiBox GmbH