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The research programme BioSolar Cells is part of the extensive research programme BioBased Economy. This is one of the two cross-thematic research lines within the Topsectorenbeleid (Top Sectors Policy), which is a government initiative in the Netherlands.
Dialogic conducted the baseline measurement for BioSolar Cells at an earlier stage. We will now also conduct the interim measurement and the final evaluation. This process was not without challenges. In the traditional way of (innovation) policy analysis, the three measurements are carried out as separate studies. The downside of this approach is that data needs to be collected anew each time, and the results of the studies do not align well. Therefore, from the outset, Dialogic advocated for a completely different approach, namely continuous data tracking. This requires a larger initial investment (in establishing the process and designing and implementing a data dashboard) but these investments pay off significantly in later stages. Another advantage of this approach is that the data can be used for both external purposes (evaluation, public information) and internal purposes (programme management).
Something that works well in theory and on paper still needs to prove itself in practice. Even more important is that the new approach is embraced by all parties involved. This is the case now. For us, this is a small victory because we believe that the continuous approach (with an online dashboard) can also bring clear added value to many other projects and programmes.
Because the BioSolar Cells dashboard is initially used for programme management and evaluation (public information is provided through the website http://www.biosolarcells.nl/), the dashboard is not publicly accessible. An example of a dynamic and interactive version of the dashboard can be found at http://www.diadashboard.nl/voorbeeld/