Table 4 Challenges for benefit... | Emerald Publishing

Table 4

Challenges for benefit realisation

Challenges to benefit realisation (selective coding)	Challenges’ antecedents for benefit realisation (axial coding)	Description	Representative quote
Struggling to take off sustainable innovation	Lacking technical capabilities	Satellite-based projects require technical capabilities and assets that stakeholders do not have. Resulting in a lack of benefit realisation	“The key barrier to realising the benefits of our project outcome in agriculture is that our clients lack the necessary tools and expertise. Utilising our advanced soil analysis requires specific sensors and knowledge to interpret the data. Without these, they recognise the solution’s value but cannot fully leverage it” [Int 05] “Often, we offer clients tools they don’t fully understand or use to only a fraction of their potential—much like the average Excel user. It’s not rocket science, yet this limits the realisation of true benefits, even in sectors more mature in technology use, such as transportation” [Int 43]
	Experiencing financial issues	Economic challenges the analysed projects face, including difficulties in recouping initial investments, high costs for obtaining premium commercial data, and securing funding, hinder financial sustainability and, consequently, the realisation of benefits from sustainable innovation	“Our transportation project demands substantial investments. If we fail to reach the break-even point, we may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the innovative solutions we aim to implement” [Int 40] “There’s a dichotomy between the short term and the long term: while we aim to generate long-term benefits, we’re judged on our ability to support the short term, which remains the priority. If the funds aren’t there, progress simply doesn’t happen” [Int 24]
	Speaking different languages	Space companies often develop advanced technological solutions that fail to benefit stakeholders because existing complementary solutions are already available or do not address their needs. This issue arises primarily because these companies do not effectively communicate with or understand the stakeholders' requirements	“We built an amazing tool to monitor air pollution levels. We created an advanced system for tracking air pollution levels. However, it remains unused because local businesses prefer traditional air quality monitors. We misunderstood their needs, and they didn’t communicate their preferences to us” [Int 16] “We developed a system to monitor the coral reef and presented it to the coast guard, but they told us they prefer to conduct site visits to avoid job losses” [Int 38]
Having a short-sighted view of the future	Identifying wrong beneficiaries	Barriers to realising benefits are closely linked to identifying who will benefit from our project output. Pinpointing and engaging stakeholders is challenging and costly, particularly considering those impacted decades after the project’s completion and in future environments	“Have you ever imagined the impact of the GPS on our lives? Thanks to this, we can save lives in an emergency or call Uber Eats when we do not want to go to the supermarket. Yet, in the beginning, predicting these benefits was not possible because many of the stakeholders did not even exist” [Int 31] “We developed a satellite-based solution for assessing climate risks to solar power generation facilities. Initially, we considered the primary beneficiaries to be the plant owners. In reality, however, the true advantages of the solution benefit insurers – who bear the financial losses in case of damage – and citizens, who avoid the impact of energy loss” [Int 26]
	Facing greater uncertainty	External factors that negatively impact the project’s progress can create uncertainty and limit the realisation of its benefits	“Sentinel 1, one of the most used satellites of the EU commission, whose data are given for free, failed. How can we guarantee the benefits of our project that leveraged this data?” [Int.35] “One major hurdle in developing sustainable satellite-based environmental and wildlife protection solutions is the inaccessibility of key cadastral data in user-friendly formats. These land registry datasets should have been available years ago, but bureaucratic delays have significantly hindered access, limiting the project development and benefits realisation” [Int 39]
	Failing to keep up with cultural changes	Challenges emerged from interactions with end users and partners, characterised by cultural resistance and scepticism towards new technologies like satellite data. The unpredictable nature of cultural transformation further intensifies this resistance	“Initially, selling the concept of precision agriculture using drone technology to farmers was challenging because they were unfamiliar with the technology. Many farming businesses hesitated to adopt it, as they struggled to grasp its workings and were accustomed to traditional methods” [Int.03] “We face competition from established technologies (e.g. helicopter flyovers) and alternative solutions that emphasise short-term economic gains rather than focusing on long-term benefits” [Int 28]

Challenges to benefit realisation (selective coding)	Challenges’ antecedents for benefit realisation (axial coding)	Description	Representative quote
Struggling to take off sustainable innovation	Lacking technical capabilities	Satellite-based projects require technical capabilities and assets that stakeholders do not have. Resulting in a lack of benefit realisation	“The key barrier to realising the benefits of our project outcome in agriculture is that our clients lack the necessary tools and expertise. Utilising our advanced soil analysis requires specific sensors and knowledge to interpret the data. Without these, they recognise the solution’s value but cannot fully leverage it” [Int 05]“Often, we offer clients tools they don’t fully understand or use to only a fraction of their potential—much like the average Excel user. It’s not rocket science, yet this limits the realisation of true benefits, even in sectors more mature in technology use, such as transportation” [Int 43]
	Experiencing financial issues	Economic challenges the analysed projects face, including difficulties in recouping initial investments, high costs for obtaining premium commercial data, and securing funding, hinder financial sustainability and, consequently, the realisation of benefits from sustainable innovation	“Our transportation project demands substantial investments. If we fail to reach the break-even point, we may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the innovative solutions we aim to implement” [Int 40]“There’s a dichotomy between the short term and the long term: while we aim to generate long-term benefits, we’re judged on our ability to support the short term, which remains the priority. If the funds aren’t there, progress simply doesn’t happen” [Int 24]
	Speaking different languages	Space companies often develop advanced technological solutions that fail to benefit stakeholders because existing complementary solutions are already available or do not address their needs. This issue arises primarily because these companies do not effectively communicate with or understand the stakeholders' requirements	“We built an amazing tool to monitor air pollution levels. We created an advanced system for tracking air pollution levels. However, it remains unused because local businesses prefer traditional air quality monitors. We misunderstood their needs, and they didn’t communicate their preferences to us” [Int 16]“We developed a system to monitor the coral reef and presented it to the coast guard, but they told us they prefer to conduct site visits to avoid job losses” [Int 38]
Having a short-sighted view of the future	Identifying wrong beneficiaries	Barriers to realising benefits are closely linked to identifying who will benefit from our project output. Pinpointing and engaging stakeholders is challenging and costly, particularly considering those impacted decades after the project’s completion and in future environments	“Have you ever imagined the impact of the GPS on our lives? Thanks to this, we can save lives in an emergency or call Uber Eats when we do not want to go to the supermarket. Yet, in the beginning, predicting these benefits was not possible because many of the stakeholders did not even exist” [Int 31]“We developed a satellite-based solution for assessing climate risks to solar power generation facilities. Initially, we considered the primary beneficiaries to be the plant owners. In reality, however, the true advantages of the solution benefit insurers – who bear the financial losses in case of damage – and citizens, who avoid the impact of energy loss” [Int 26]
	Facing greater uncertainty	External factors that negatively impact the project’s progress can create uncertainty and limit the realisation of its benefits	“Sentinel 1, one of the most used satellites of the EU commission, whose data are given for free, failed. How can we guarantee the benefits of our project that leveraged this data?” [Int.35]“One major hurdle in developing sustainable satellite-based environmental and wildlife protection solutions is the inaccessibility of key cadastral data in user-friendly formats. These land registry datasets should have been available years ago, but bureaucratic delays have significantly hindered access, limiting the project development and benefits realisation” [Int 39]
	Failing to keep up with cultural changes	Challenges emerged from interactions with end users and partners, characterised by cultural resistance and scepticism towards new technologies like satellite data. The unpredictable nature of cultural transformation further intensifies this resistance	“Initially, selling the concept of precision agriculture using drone technology to farmers was challenging because they were unfamiliar with the technology. Many farming businesses hesitated to adopt it, as they struggled to grasp its workings and were accustomed to traditional methods” [Int.03]“We face competition from established technologies (e.g. helicopter flyovers) and alternative solutions that emphasise short-term economic gains rather than focusing on long-term benefits” [Int 28]

Source(s): Table by the authors