SITUATION
- At Triveni Turbines Limited (TTL-GE JV company), we faced increasing competitive pressure in the market
- Needed to develop a turbine blade that balanced cost efficiency with performance quality
- Existing designs were not providing the competitive edge required in the market
- Internal resources alone were insufficient to solve this complex engineering challenge
- Required specialized expertise in aerodynamics beyond what was available in-house
Figure 1: Turbine blade design challenge requiring cross-border collaboration
TASK
- Create a new blade design that would outperform competitors while meeting cost targets
- Identify and secure expert resources beyond our internal capabilities
- Establish effective cross-organizational, cross-border collaborations
- Test and validate the new designs with scientific rigor
- Translate academic research into commercial applications
YOU
Principal Investigator
Building Connections
TTL
Engineering Team
Expert
Aerodynamicist
Polimi
University
Wind Tunnel Tests
ACTION
- Personally established connection with a world-renowned aerodynamics expert
- Initiated and developed collaboration with Politecnico di Milano University for advanced testing
- Served as the principal investigator for the wind tunnel test campaign
- Built bridges between academic research and commercial objectives
- Coordinated communication between the engineering team and university researchers
- Ensured that theoretical advancements translated to practical design improvements
- Managed cross-cultural and cross-organizational dynamics to maintain momentum
- Balanced technical requirements with commercial constraints throughout the process
Figure 2: Wind tunnel testing of the innovative turbine blade design at Politecnico di Milano
New Product Line → Ongoing Revenue & Competitive Edge
RESULTS
- Successfully completed the wind tunnel test campaign validating the new design
- Incorporated the innovative blade design into a new product line
- Created a solution that continues to deliver profits and revenue for the company
- Established a sustainable competitive advantage in the market
- Built lasting connections between academic institution and company
- Developed a model for future cross-organizational collaboration
- Demonstrated how connecting diverse expertise across organizational boundaries leads to innovation
"Built bridges between industry and academia, creating a collaborative network that transformed theoretical advances into commercial success, establishing a sustainable competitive advantage in the turbomachinery market."