On Thursday 10 December 2009, David Langley successfully defended his dissertation "Predicting the Market Demand for an Innovation Based on the Concept of Social Contagion". In doing so TNO's school of thought, that imitation is a driving force behind the spread of new products, was further academically underpinned. The collaboration between KPN, TNO en the University of Groningen in the form of the Dutch Research Delta was commended by the scientific supervisor, Prof. Dr. THA Bijmolt, during his speech at the presentation of the certificate.