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Innovating with research
Innovation is the result of investment in infrastructure by a
country that believes in research. So says Alessandro Ovi,
Publisher and Editor, MIT Technology Review, and Di-
rector, STM, who focussed on some of the sectors in which
technology will record the greatest growth: applied tech-
nologies, energy (fundamental, considering that
«the use of
alternative sources, or improvement in their use, will be
at the heart of research over coming years, given that fos-
sil fuels are running out»
), communication and connective
technologies, which Ovi defines as
«the global communi-
cation connection»
, or
«one of the greatest results of real
poverty eradication and a contribution to the development
of countries, since it brings connectivity worldwide»
.
Managing research
At the next roundtable the discussion focussed on how te-
chnologies can improve our lives by applying research. For
Pedro Alberto Gomez Rodriguez, Global Innovation Lea-
der, PwC Spain, innovation comes above all from the ri-
ght mix of creativity (in other words curiosity, observation,
questioning, associating and experimenting) and discipli-
ne (policies, processes, products, people, partners), and
speed is the element which unites them. A success story was
also told by Aldo Uva, Chief Operating Supply Officer of
Ferrero International. As well as having created
«a bridge
between the past and the future in a very innovative way»
and having united “passion and people” Ferrero continuously
invests to strengthen the link between product and science,
which is essential in order to innovate.
Innovating with services
For anyone who knows how to leverage it, technology can be
a strong efficiency driver. The companies wishing tomake pro-
gress in the new globalised context must be able to confront nu-
merous and important challenges, and the CFOs in this case ha-
ve an even more fundamental role.
«We are in an era in which
not only numerous changes are taking place, but they are also
happening very rapidly,»
pointed out CarloAlberto Carnevale
Maffè of the Bocconi University of Milan, then focussing on
how technology can optimise the company’s internal proces-
ses. According to Marco Vulpani, Deloitte Financial Advi-
sory Innovation Leader, it is necessary to pay attention to how
the role of customers has changed. The advent of social networks
and e-commerce have changed the methods of interaction and
generated a constant flow of information.According toVulpa-
ni
«innovation is not an opportunity, now innovation is the new
baseline, if you don’t innovate you don’t survive»
. But what is
innovation?
«It’s a fresh idea that creates value, but not only
that: just think about the role of incubators»
.
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IAFEI Quarterly | Issue 31 | 10