WBSO · ELABORATED TECHNICAL FILES
A WBSO case does not only show that a project can qualify, but where exactly the technical uncertainty lay, which solution directions were investigated, where the R&D began and ended and which activities were deliberately kept outside the WBSO.
SUBSTANTIVELY ASSESSED BY PETER KLAREN, FISCAL ECONOMIST AND WBSO SPECIALIST · LAST CHECKED SEPTEMBER 2026
About these cases: the four files are compiled, representative cases, based on common WBSO situations. They are not a literal representation of one specific client file; company data has been anonymised. The technical structure — bottleneck, solution direction, delineation — reflects how these project types are assessed in practice.
| Case | Type of R&D | Central technical question |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning machine | Product development | vibrations and positioning accuracy |
| SaaS matching platform | Software | scalability and response time |
| Bio-based extrusion line | Process development | viscosity and process stability |
| Crystallisation coating | technical scientific research | cause of unexpected layer formation |
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
A machine builder has to position within ±0.05 mm at doubled speed. Backlash, elastic deformation and resonances meant that existing guide and damping concepts failed. Development of an own actively damped drive and construction principle.
View the full case →SOFTWARE
From 2 to 20 million combinations within 200 ms. Existing indexing and query structures and all configuration options did not scale along. Own partitioning structure with incremental scoring, realised and benchmarked in own software.
View the full case →PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
From 350 to 900 kg/h throughput. At higher speed the bio-based compound became unstable: viscosity shifts and thermal degradation. Development of a new screw geometry, temperature zoning and process control as one new process principle.
View the full case →TECHNICAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Seemingly identical coating batches showed varying crystal forms without known cause. Systematic research into the underlying nucleation mechanism demonstrated an explained and predictable cause.
View the full case →| Page | Function |
|---|---|
| WBSO examples | 26 short examples for recognition: “can a project like mine be WBSO?” |
| WBSO cases (this page) | Elaborated files: “what does such a WBSO project technically and administratively actually look like?” |
Each case follows the same structure: starting situation → technical goal → bottleneck or phenomenon → why known technology fell short → solution directions → experiments → result → what did and did not qualify → where the R&D ended → accompanying project records → translation to the application.
Present your technical bottleneck or research question. We compare your situation with the WBSO criteria and give a first substantive assessment.
