The R&D Role in a High-Tech Company: From Startup Sparks to SME Scale

This keynote shares first-hand insights from leading R&D initiatives through the journey of building a startup from the concept, as an University spin-off, to growth-stage SME. The talk explores how early-stage innovation and experimentation can fuel product differentiation and long-term competitiveness, while also addressing the challenges of allocating limited resources, managing uncertainty, and balancing technical ambition with business strategy. Drawing from practical experience, the session highlights the role played by the R&D in a high-tech computer science company, Ludium Lab, illustrating both the risks and rewards of betting on innovation in real-world entrepreneurial contexts throughout different stages of the company lifetime. Attendees will gain a realistic perspective on what it means to build technology, dealing with trade-offs that impact on the evolution roadmap, and turn research into scalable business value.