Project Background

As part of its long-term growth strategy, the client established a new division dedicated to environmental technologies and began researching wastewater treatment solutions focused on surfactant processing.

Although the company attempted to gather customer insights through existing sales channels, uncertainty remained regarding:

• Actual market demand

• Potential applications

• Commercial feasibility of future solutions

The client therefore required a deeper validation of its internal hypotheses before committing to large-scale R&D investments.
 

Approach

The project began with desktop research covering:

• Existing wastewater treatment technologies

• Competitor solutions

• Industry players

• Market trends in semiconductor and textile industries

Acies then designed interview frameworks and selected industry experts from target sectors. Through expert interviews, the consulting team gathered firsthand insights into:

• Operational challenges

• Customer needs

• Market barriers

• Potential adoption conditions

Finally, Acies consolidated the findings into a business feasibility evaluation by comparing technical viability, market attractiveness, and commercialization potential across industries.
 

Value Provided

The project concluded that surfactant removal solutions demonstrated strong market demand and commercial potential, leading the client to proceed with new R&D investments.

However, surfactant recycling technologies were determined to face:

• High technical complexity

• Significant development costs

• Limited short-term feasibility

As a result, recycling-related initiatives were deprioritized, while the company moved forward with prototype development focused on high-potential sectors.

The project allowed the client to prioritize target industries more strategically and accelerate product development based on validated market needs rather than assumptions alone.