Stratégie de développement d'un nouveau marché pour la société Xylowatt : application aux marchés hors réseau et canadien

Abstract

Nowadays, the current and growing global interest for the development of renewable energy avoiding greenhouse gas emission leads to an important level of competition on this market and to the development of plentiful clean technologies by numerous companies. At the time of their introduction on the market, those new and costly technologies experience a limited level of demand and have to identify particularly favourable ecosystems adapted to their special features; they also have to construct and adopt a suitable marketing strategy. This thesis aims to participate in the market development of the small-scale biomass gasification technology of a Belgian SME and relates its attempt to be established in an attractive market - the off-grid market covering the different remote communities and industries not connected to the electricity transmission system and producing electricity from diesel generators: all this made in order to increase the level of demand for its product. A market research survey based on a systematic approach to market selection enabled to identify several countries presenting an off-grid potential for this company and finally to view its introduction in Canada where simultaneously the on-grid and off-grid markets were considered. Based on the experience acquired during the entire project, a general market development methodology considering the specific characteristics of the firm and of its technology has been developed in order to reinforce its current marketing strategy. Besides, this paper provides an overview of the advantages of this technology for the off-grid market, but also the intermediary steps and technological improvements required to enter it successfully when it comes to its reliability, autonomy and ability to produce energy continuously. Finally, it highlights the obstacles that a project-based technology SME with limited resources at its disposal and active in the field of renewable energy can face and it emphasizes the measure in which attractive renewable energy support policies, the construction of a powerful network of partners, the level of competition and the general context of a country can influence its introduction within the country.