Background - Issue: how three business students at the Technical University at Delft had an idea for a folding shipping container and ran business from that idea. - Containers today on ships, trains or on trucks are 20-40 feet in length due to standard sizes, easily adapt in logistical systems. - Prior to standardization, there were inconsistences in packaging and crating Background ' Jan, Mark and Stephen arrived late due to the slow lifting bridge over the canal, which had to be raised for a large boat carrying steel shipping containers. ' Like the Anglepoise lamp, springs can be used to lift very heavy weights, providing the springs are large enough. A steel container that could be folded into a small space had many more attractions. The three students went away to experiment with their idea and conduct calculations on weight, force, stress and strain measurements. From ideas to business Opportunity: Ships traveling with empty containers Solutions: A folding container Questions: Should they run and get a patent for a folding container? Is it profitable and sustainable? Forming alliances - The first thing Jan did was to contact the Port of Rotterdam. According to the Commercial Director of the Port, folding and collapsible containers have been around for many years but they have never really worked due to high cost, incompatible roof, and assemble cost. He believed that all in one piece is mission impossible. - These three students are very clever engineers but they lack of business knowledge. Forming alliances Fortunately, the university had a business incubator that helped students develop their ideas and create businesses. It would be able to help them with their patent application. But Jan, Mark and Stephan soon realized they did not know answers to simple questions, such as: Who would buy it? Who are the customers? How many containers are there in The Netherlands/Europe/world? How much does it cost to make a container? How much does it cost to buy one? It was soon clear that many days of research lay ahead. Overcoming obstacles - Due to bad weather and storms, it has been estimated that container ships lose over 10,000 containers at sea each year. - Three students explained that container cargo could be moved nearly 20 times faster than pre-container break bulk cargo. BREAK BULK v Business opportunity: moving empty containers Folding containers would be quicker to load (four at a time), resulting in faster turnaround time for ships. - Energy costs would drop as well, as one trailer rather than four would transport empties. Finally, there is also a security feature to the folded container built to ISO standards. Concept to product - The students now needed money to buitd a working scale model of the folding container. They had to make it compatible with existing equipment. It would also have to have proper sealing and locking devices and should interlock with other containers. - When the model was demonstrated to senior figures at the Port of Rotterdam, they were very impressed and immediately wanted to see a full- size version a prototype. - The three students had made some significant steps forward with their business idea, but they still did not have an order, let alone any sales or cash