Eleven years ago he started up an initiative called Infonomia, to help businesses to understand how technology would change the way they did things. Constantly working to generate new ideas about what innovation is. Interesting ideas have come out, like that of information overload, used in a campaign for Mercedes-Benz.
He is are currently working on the CO-SOCIETY initiative. Many CO phenomena exist without us even realising it. The frontiers between different specialisations are beginning to crumble, “breaking down the silos” as they say in English. It is very difficult to innovate while working alone and in isolation. The technologies currently emerging are based on the CO phenomenon (Facebook,Twitter, and so on).
Unprecedented partnerships between companies are becoming increasingly common. For example, Renault and Biotherm have joined together to create a care which reduces stress (the spa car).
Joining together is very easy; the hard part is finding points for intersection without losing each company’s identity. This intersection is what can add the most value and is also the most difficult. This is what innovation consists of: seeing how companies change thanks to the influence of others.
This CO phenomenon is arising in many countries. Some issues of the German “brand-ems” magazine talked about co-operating or giving up. One example is the German cooperative venture to design the hydrogen car. This is an example of generating a new industry while the rest of the world is looking the other way.
The French “Comité Colbert” is an association of luxury companies whose aim is to redefine the luxury sector in France in an active way.
USB in Belgium is the first pharmaceutical company to consider that patients are essential to define drugs. They use patients not only to test medication but also to design it.
Last year saw the creation of CO-SOCIETY, made up of some 40 companies which work in conditions of complete openness in all areas. If there is one company in a sector the competition cannot the there. It was set up so that common projects would emerge. The figure of the “intersector” is essential to this. It is a question of converting improbability into results.
The aim is for absolutely unprecedented things to happen, without incompatibilities arising between the companies. For example, if Orbea develops a product together with Gallina Blanca it is impossible for intersection issues to arise, as they work in completely different sectors.
