Energy Industry, Business Development/Strategy
Understanding Customer Pay Willingness for Green Roads
Preview/Excerpt
To assess market readiness for more sustainable road materials, SprintlyWorks conducted in-depth customer interviews across the Nordics. The study revealed key adoption barriers, procurement dynamics, and regulatory shifts shaping asphalt demand—equipping the client with actionable insights to position its bio-based material for pilot projects and long-term strategic adoption.
Outcomes
100+
potential customer leads identified based on 8 customer segments
15+
interviews conducted with the identified profiles in 3 regions
Problem Summary
EngergyCo. sought to evaluate the market potential for replacing traditional asphalt binders with a more sustainable material. Despite successful product testing, they lacked visibility into customer willingness to adopt, pay premiums, or navigate procurement complexities. Without structured insights into buyer concerns, technical expectations, and regulatory drivers, the company faced uncertainty in scaling adoption or initiating strategic pilot partnerships across Nordic markets.
Situation
EnergyCo operates in a traditionally fossil-based sector and is exploring opportunities to decarbonize downstream applications. As part of its transition strategy, the company developed a bio-based asphalt binder through internal R&D efforts. While initial product testing showed promise, EnergyCo lacked clarity on customer willingness to adopt the material, especially in cost-sensitive public procurement settings. Uncertainty around technical performance expectations, regulatory alignment, and pricing dynamics further complicated go-to-market planning. To evaluate adoption potential and de-risk early commercialization, EnergyCo engaged SprintlyWorks to gather structured market insights across three Nordic countries through targeted interviews and ecosystem analysis.
Key Research Question
The key question driving the project was:
- Are the potential customers willing to replace Bitumen, if yes then what are their conditions?
- Are the potential customer willing pay premium or want a discount for a more sustainable Bitumen replacement product?
- How is the regulatory landscape for sustainable road construction products and what is the growth in this industry?
Our Approach
SprintlyWorks adopted a three-phase approach to help EnergyCo evaluate customer readiness and identify go-to-market conditions for a more sustainable asphalt binder.
- Frame Customer Adoption Hypotheses
SprintlyWorks aligned with EnergyCo’s internal team to refine key research questions. These focused on customers’ willingness to transition from bitumen, their price sensitivity, procurement drivers, and technical performance expectations. We conducted a kickoff workshop to validate research objectives, map out asphalt use cases, and define interview sampling criteria across both public and commercial customer segments in Finland, Sweden, and Norway.
- Conduct Interviews and Ecosystem Analysis
SprintlyWorks identified and reviewed over 150 relevant stakeholders, including infrastructure authorities, municipalities, industrial parks, and real estate developers. We conducted 11 in-depth interviews with decision-makers and influencers in procurement, maintenance, and sustainability roles. Discussions explored adoption conditions, awareness of alternatives, willingness to pay premiums, and perceived risks. Simultaneously, we assessed public procurement trends, asphalt usage patterns, and regulatory developments, such as EU green public procurement rules and national net-zero targets, to contextualize buyer behavior.
- Synthesize Insights and Identify Pilot Opportunities
SprintlyWorks analyzed responses to isolate high-priority adoption barriers—such as technical certification gaps, cost concerns, and low material awareness—and identified customer clusters more receptive to innovation. These included city governments, industrial parks, and car park operators with sustainability mandates. The findings informed tailored go-to-market recommendations, including where EnergyCo could initiate pilot trials and how to position the product based on life cycle cost and emissions benefits.
By directly engaging target customers and triangulating insights with regulatory and market data, SprintlyWorks enabled EnergyCo to de-risk early commercialization and prioritize next steps toward scaling its sustainable material in the asphalt sector.
Results
The project provided EnergyCo with data-backed clarity on customer willingness to adopt its sustainable asphalt solution. SprintlyWorks interviewed 11 key decision-makers across Finland, Sweden, and Norway, screening over 150 profiles. Findings showed low willingness to pay a premium, with public procurement still driven by lowest-cost bids. Key barriers included uncertainty over technical performance and Lignin’s perceived high cost. However, the asphalt market is growing at 7% CAGR in the Nordics, and Bitumen accounts for 25% of asphalt-related CO₂ emissions, creating pressure for alternatives. Cities like Helsinki and Stockholm, and Mo Industrial Park, showed interest in pilot trials, validating EnergyCo’s path toward scaling adoption under tightening sustainability regulations.
“Bridged the gap between innovation and real buyer behavior.”
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