29 August 2007

At Cliftons, 33/F 9 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong

·        Who are lead users?

·        How to work together with lead users?

·        How to generate value in the scenario of reverse economy?

·        Web2.0-based new services and business models.

·        When mobile meets web2.0.

This workshop invites guest speakers to address the above identified issues and explore business opportunities emerged by Web2.0 to all business sectors, including manufacturers, operators and investors. One of the keynote speakers, Prof. Johann F§ller from Leopold-Franzens-Universits Innsbruck of Austria, who is also one of the founders of HYVE § a company that was established in the philosophy of customer-centered innovation, will share his study and experiences in how to use novel, on-line-supported procedures to actively involve users in the product development process. Case studies on their projects for such clients as Adidas, Audi, Bosch, BMW, Siemens and Swisscom will be introduced and further elaborated.

[more introduction of this workshop]

[photo album]

Programme Rundown

Introduction of this workshop

The innovative process of producing Model T cars by Henry Ford has revolutionarily changed the manufacturing industry. The mass production has enabled people getting rich in a short period of time at a very fast speed. In the mean time, people are getting more and more tired of mass-produced products. As a result, more and more people are looking for individualized experiences and unique consumption choices rather than mass-produced products. Users, especially lead users, not only demand unique product but also show strong interest to engage and partake in the process of design and production.

Nowadays, intelligent information infrastructure is widely diffused in the market. End users are in possession of computer terminals which allow them to surf on the internet, engage in online communities, and explore virtual worlds. Further more, Web2.0 functionalities have strongly enhanced users’ power allowing them to leverage the intelligence of their terminals. User are becoming content providers, application inventors, and, to a certain degree, infrastructure operators. Some companies have identified this trend and restructured their business model. For example, by developing certain development toolkits, selected users, especially lead users, can participate in the process of designing and production of new services and products, and henceforth generate value for suppliers and manufacturers. This trend, which is also called reverse economy, has changed traditional relationships between consumers and suppliers. A company that is good at taking advantages of the Web2.0 based Internet can not only offer comprehensive support to consumers, but also maximize the value of their company, paying-off the needed investment.

Unfortunately, most companies continue to operate according to a century old logic invented at the time of their origin. This results from two factors. On the one hand, they failed to hear what consumers really want. On the other hand, transforming the business with the help of Web2.0-enabled Internet is still at its infant stage, and in-depth studies and best-practice examples on this transformation are still limited.  A spectrum of questions needs to be answered. For example, how to identify lead users?  How to analyze numerous users generated information in the cyber community?  How to develop effective toolkits allowing cooperating and co-creating with lead users?  How to manage user generated intellectual properties? [Top]

Introduction of keynote speakers:

Mr Stephen Mak, JP

Deputy Government Chief Information Officer, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, HKSAR

Stephen Mak is the Deputy Government Chief Information Officer (Operation) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.  The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) is responsible for formulating policies and strategies and implementing measures to drive IT development in Hong Kong and, in doing so, contribute to Hong Kong’s commerce and economic development portfolio.

Mr Mak is responsible for IT industry development policy and strategy, including cooperation with the Mainland and countries that have ICT collaboration agreements with Hong Kong.  He also directs the provision of programme management and application integration services; IT infrastructure and security, standards and information security policy; technology management and sourcing; IT manpower and professional development; and programmes to facilitate the development of the local IT industry, promote the adoption of e-business and bridge the digital divide.  He is the HKSAR-side convener of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on Cooperation in Informatisation, and is also a Member of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on Cooperation in Innovation and Technology. [Top]

Dr. Yan Xu

Associate Professor of the Department of Information and Systems Management of the HKUST Business School, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Dr. Xu received his PhD from the business school of the University of Strathclyde of the UK in 1997. He had working experience in the former Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) of China, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, British Telecom’s Laboratories and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). His research and teaching interests include corporate management, competitive strategy and regulatory policy of telecommunications. He has also provided extensive research and consulting for the former MPT of China, British Telecom, China Mobile, China Telecom, Nortel, OFTA, Audit Commission of Hong Kong Government, the Internet and Telecom Association of Hong Kong (ITAHK), Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, The Telephone Organization of Thailand, and the ITU. He has published extensively in renowned international journals such as Telecommunications Policy. His book (with Douglas Pitt), Chinese Telecommunications Policy, published by Artech House, is regarded as the benchmark in the analysis of Chinese telecommunications policy. He is currently on the board of executive directors of the International Telecommunications Society (ITS). He is also the committee member of ITU Telecom World Forum Advisory Committee. He has been appointed as President, Regulatory Issues Group of the Internet and Telecomm Association of Hong Kong (ITAHK) since 2005. [Top]

Prof. Johann F§ller

Assistant Professor, Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism, University of Innsbruck and CEO of HYVE AG

In line with Johann’s research focus, he regularly gives guest lectures about open innovation, the utilization of online communities and virtual integration of customers in new product development.  Johann made himself a name as visiting lecturer at universities and management training institutions in the field of product development and product management. Before, he was engaged 3 years as corporate consultant in the field of strategic change at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. He further gained experience at McKinsey & Comp., Siemens and Allied Signal. Johann received his PhD in marketing about “Community Based Innovations - Virtual Integration of Online Consumer Groups into New Product Development" at Prof. Hans M§hlbacher, LFU Innsbruck and Prof. Eric von Hippel, MIT. The graduated technical and industrial engineer completed his career with a master of international business as well as the Euro-Certificate for Engineers. Study visits led him to USA, France and Spain.

About HYVE

Philosophy

»The future of competition, however, lies in an altogether new approach of value creation, based on an individual-centered co-creation of value between consumers and companies.« (Prahalad/Ramaswamy 2004)

The HYVE AG stands for customer-centred innovations. We actively involve consumers in the development process, using novel, online based procedures that we develop in conjunction with leading universities. Users’ wants and needs, their knowledge and abilities allow the creation of successful and radical innovations. We transfer the insights of the customer input into product designs. Our clients belong to the B2C and B2B business areas, operating in a wide range of different sectors, markets and countries.

Status of the innovation

A consistent focus on customer requirements and the integration of users as an important source of innovation form the foundation of our activities.

Ideas are volatile, nebulous and often have highly ephemeral structures. They must be treated and condensed carefully.

We investigate customer requirements using the lead user method, our own creativity and netnography as a procedure of online community research. We crystallize the current fields of innovation and solutions for our customers.

Concepts are liquid, and easy to change and reshape. Virtual prototypes help to explore product concepts. [Top]