Academic institutions around the world are engines of innovation, driving new technologies and discoveries that can spark long-term change. Yet many promising ideas remain in the lab, never reaching the communities and industries that could benefit most. Helping innovators navigate the complex path from “lab to market” is central to turning this untapped potential into economic, social, and environmental impact.
In the Mexican state of Chihuahua, several public, private, and academic institutions are working to overcome these barriers. Building on four years of collaboration, WDI has partnered with the Secretaría de Innovación y Desarrollo Económico (SIDE), Desarrollo Económico de Ciudad Juárez (DECJ), nonprofit organization Frente Norte, and multiple universities through an initiative called Lab to Market. The project aims to build capacity at the individual, institutional, and ecosystem levels to accelerate commercialization of energy, mobility, and other high-potential innovations.
“The opportunity is too important to ignore,” said Cynthia López, Executive Director of DECJ. “By bringing academic innovations into real-world applications, we can strengthen ties between academia and industry, create valuable learning opportunities for students, and deliver tangible benefits that advance regional prosperity and sustainability.”
As part of the project, the WDI team worked with local partners to assess Chihuahua’s commercialization landscape, identify critical gaps, and convene innovators and ecosystem players during a forum in November 2025. The event spotlighted success stories and promising innovations across the region while generating collective momentum for next steps.
“This initiative is very aligned with Frente Norte’s mission to build upon our region’s legacy of industry and entrepreneurship, and collaborating with WDI allows us to bring in new ideas, resources, and energy toward this aim,” said Orlando Daniel, Director of Frente Norte.
WDI also developed several practical tools designed to help innovators and their institutions move forward—both in Chihuahua and globally. Chief among these is a Commercialization Playbook, a step-by-step guide that demystifies the process from concept to market launch. The playbook offers actionable advice, practical checklists, and curated external resources to support decision-making at every stage.
“We hope innovators in Chihuahua and beyond will use the playbook wherever they are in their journey—whether deciding if commercialization is right for them or refining a business model for market entry,” said Diana E. PáezSenior Director, Energy & Mobility.
The team also introduced an Early-Stage Commercial Feasibility Assessment Model, a structured approach to help innovators evaluate potential costs, revenues, and market opportunities for their ideas before committing significant time and resources.
“Understanding commercial viability early on helps innovators make strategic decisions,” explained Dana Gorodetsky, WDI Program Manager, Energy & Mobility. “This model gives them the tools to iterate and strengthen both their technology and business approach.”
To complement these tools, WDI conducted a hands-on workshop with more than a dozen Chihuahua innovators in academia and at early-stage startups, demonstrating how to apply the playbook and feasibility model to their projects. The interactive sessions underscored a key lesson: Building commercialization capacity requires both accessible resources and guided practice.
“We learned that this type of direct engagement is valuable not only for innovators but also for institutional staff supporting them,” noted Gorodetsky (pictured above). “Our goal is to expand these workshops to benefit more teams in Chihuahua and across emerging innovation ecosystems worldwide.”
This initiative draws on WDI’s deep experience supporting commercialization and entrepreneurial ecosystems globally. By combining research-based frameworks with real-world application, the partnership in Chihuahua illustrates how collaboration can power inclusive and sustainable innovation—turning great ideas into meaningful change.
All images from the November, 2025 workshop, courtesy of Frente Norte.
