On three different continents between five different time zones, preparations for the first session are going on. Once a year experts and researchers from Innovation Centre Denmark - Bangalore, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, New Delhi, New York, and Silicon Valley connect online to provide participants with insight and inspiration on digital trends from around the world. With first-hand experience in Digital Tech, Shanghai opens the stage, presenting TikTok - one of the world's most successful apps with more than 800 million active users.
The session is part of the digital course "Around the world in 4 days - digital transformation in a global perspective" kicked off in Shanghai. Together with the IT University in Copenhagen and Innovation Centre Denmark, the six innovation hubs - Bangalore, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, New Delhi, New York, and Silicon Valley - went beyond digital developments and provided participants with unique insights into new trends anticipated to affect the digital landscape in 2021.
Although it has only been a year since the IT University and Innovation Centre Denmark virtually visited the world's innovation clusters, there has been great interest in the virtual event as an educational course. Originally the course also included a study trip to Silicon Valley but due to the extraordinary circumstances with COVID-19, the event was restructured into a fully online event.
"The pandemic actually accelerated this project. We were thinking: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade - so how do we make the world come to us?" says Lars Rune Christensen, PHD Associate Professor for the IT master program at the IT University of Copenhagen.
In the midst of a global pandemic, Innovation Center Denmark and the IT University of Copenhagen managed to take advantage of the circumstances and create a digital event that could adapt to any given situation. To ensure knowledge sharing across three different continents and five different time zones, it was important to use digital tools to promote the most important aspect of the course – its content:
“It was a great opportunity to try out new digital teaching methods,” says Lars Rune Christensen and continues “but the content and the insights that have been produced stand as the most important aspect. Zoom just made it possible."
Thus, the collaboration between the IT University and Innovation Centre Denmark aimed at providing the necessary toolbox to effectively meet the new digital trends and tendencies. A toolbox that holds many opportunities for companies if they manage to utilize them.
“We as Danish companies need to keep ourselves informed internationally. We need to know what is going on to anticipate and meet the trends that are emerging within the field of technology,” says Lars Rune Christensen and continues: “We need to hop on the bandwagon before it leaves the station.”
And there are many reasons to stay on the bandwagon. Digitalization leaves many companies with great challenges - but even greater opportunities. New technologies go hand in hand with internationalization and artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data are the ‘lingua franca’ of the future. The development is not only based on technical expertise but rests on the companies’ ability to manage and adapt to moving trends. It is no news that companies and organizations are changing as technology develops. What is new is the speed at which the change is taking place.
Many of the companies who are already on the bandwagon are located in Silicon Valley on the West Coast of the United States; known as the leading global technology hub with digital innovation at the forefront. With innovative startups, some of the world's largest companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Google, as well as world-leading universities such as Stanford, Berkeley, and UCSF, Silicon Valley can survive crises and adapt to new technologies and competitors. Innovation Centre Denmark Silicon Valley is located at an intersection between business and research environments and has access to a large global network and a massive knowledge base. This makes Innovation Centre Denmark Silicon Valley and its strategic location an important stop on the digital journey around the world:
“Innovation Center Denmark Silicon Valley keeps its finger on the pulse and holds a large network of great importance. It creates a networking opportunity with experts that you would have otherwise never met. It is absolutely unique for the participants.”
Lars Rune Christensen, PHD Associate Professor for the IT master program at the IT University of Copenhagen.
In addition to networking opportunities, knowledge, and expertise, Innovation Centre Denmark and the IT University have given the participants unique insights and knowledge on the digital transformation from both a present and future perspective:
"I have gained insight into the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation at a global scale - insights that provide a good understanding of what is happening (and will happen) related to my work in the coming years," says Vivi Gregersen, who is a senior project manager at PFA Program and a former participant. Furthermore, she points out that “it has been important to see what it is like to be an employee in a digital, innovative world."
Innovation Centre Denmark and the IT University dive into the latest technological trends from the most innovative places on Earth: Tel Aviv in Israel, Bangalore in India, Shanghai in China as well as New York and Silicon Valley in the United States. The webinar will take place on November 12th, 19th, and 26th, and December 10th, 2021.
Participants in ‘Around the world in 4 days - digital transformation in a global perspective' will expand their international horizons by going through online presentations and efforts in digital transformation. You will learn to analyze your own and other companies' opportunities and challenges in the digital landscape. In addition, you can expect to get a new toolbox that can be utilized in your own company and digitalization projects. During the webinars, there will be time for reflection, workshops, and discussions with speakers and other course participants. This exchange of experience will strengthen participants' network and ability to make use of knowledge from the course.
You can sign up for the webinar series here
If you want to know more, please feel free to reach out to our dedicated advisors.