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Message Liberating Intellectual Property GE knew its Advanced Materials division was on to something when a team of in-house chemists developed a boron-nitride–based powder that was surprisingly nice to the touch. But the compound, though clearly useful in the semiconductor processing industry and as an additive in the cosmetics industry, lacked a broader place in the marketplace. To move beyond having applications in two narrow niches, GE asked IDEO to look for new commercial applications for the familiar material. The substance is an industrial compound with unique properties—it’s dry, exceptionally lubricious and odorless, clean, and easy to use. During the summer of 2006, IDEO studied the powder’s attributes and the needs of people faced with all sorts of friction-plagued tasks, from DIY enthusiasts and carpenters to runners and masseuses. IDEO held structured brainstorms and asked how might the material’s technical value be combined with humanistic attributes and moved, ultimately, into new markets. The brainstorming sessions generated a list of applications, and from there, the team identified and observed people associated with these applications. IDEO engineers, material scientists, and designers spoke with and watched people in a variety of fields. They also studied extreme users, including an ultra-distance marathoner who went on 100-mile runs. The team compared the existing solutions these people used with the boron-nitride option, and developed concepts using the boron-nitride solutions that better served their needs. Among the deliverables, IDEO supplied GE’s Advanced Materials division with four so-called traveling salesman kits—hands-on prototypes that showed the most-promising potential products, partners, and strategies for reaching key markets. In September 2006, GE sold its Advanced Materials division, and two years later, Momentive Performance Materials teamed with ASICS to offer a new line of anti-friction products for athletes and runners, based on the boron-nitride–based substance (trademarked by Momentive as Aceba). Developed with the performance athlete in mind, ASICS’ Chafe Free gels and powder (created using Aceba) reduce skin-to-skin and skin-to-clothing friction, helping improve performance and enhance the enjoyment of sport and physical activity. “Conventional anti-friction products, including petroleum jelly and other alternatives, have tended to be greasy, messy, and difficult to apply,” said Monica Ettamarna, Momentive’s marketing manager for consumer products. “By contrast, our Aceba dry lubricant allows Chafe Free to provide high, long-lasting lubricity and an exceptionally dry, non-sticky feel, coupled with easy, clean application.” Within the three-day lead up to the New York City Marathon, ASICS sold 2,500 tubes of Chafe Free, the company’s complete inventory for the event, and numerous athletes used the product in the race. As a specialty materials company, Momentive provides high-technology materials solutions to the silicones, quartz, and ceramics markets. The company, with worldwide operations, is continuing to look for additional partners for marketing other uses of the boron-nitride–based material. http://www.ideo.com/work/liberating-intellectual-property/