Technical novelty

Definition

Technical novelty is one of the two core conditions work must meet to qualify as research and development (S&O) under the WBSO, alongside technical uncertainty. It means that the solution you develop — a piece of software, a product or a production process — is technically new for your own company; it does not need to be new to the world or something no other company has ever built. What matters is whether your company itself does not yet have an off-the-shelf technical solution for the problem. RVO assesses technical novelty based on the project description in your application, where you explain what you are developing and why it is technically new for your company. Simply configuring or purchasing existing software, or combining off-the-shelf SaaS components without your own technical development, does not count as technically new. Technical novelty on its own is not enough, either: there must also be technical uncertainty about the outcome, otherwise the work does not qualify for the WBSO. Together, these two conditions form the core of every assessment RVO makes, whether the project involves software, AI, biotech or manufacturing.

Frequently asked questions

What does technical novelty mean under the WBSO?

Technical novelty means that the solution you develop is technically new for your own company, regardless of whether other companies have already built something similar.

Does your development need to be new to the world to qualify?

No, technical novelty is assessed from the perspective of your own company, not the broader market or other companies.

How do you demonstrate technical novelty in your WBSO application?

You describe what you are developing, why it is technically new for your company, which technical problems you expect, and how you intend to solve them.