Whitepaper Central | Papers from category Economic

Innovation: a Priority for Growth in the Aftermath of the Downturn

2009-11-09

Innovation is a top priority for companies seeking to grow in the wake of the economic downturn, but flaws in managing innovation may hinder their progress. New Accenture research indicates that many companies in the US and UK have, in fact, increased innovation funding during the downturn, demonstrating innovation’s perceived value as a driver of business growth. However, poor returns on investment will likely continue until companies systematically manage innovation with the same rigor and discipline as other critical business processes.

International Usability Testing

2009-03-05

In Sweden, the cash dispensers have very large buttons. Do you know why these buttons are so big? You can press them wearing thick gloves. Swedish winters are cold. In the USA, zip code is a well-known concept. It stands for ‘Zone Improvement Plan’, but has very little meaning to anyone outside the US (First tip: “Postal code” is universally understood). In Japan, people find disembodied body parts, e.g., eyes and mouths, unappealing in visual imagery. Companies that compete in the international marketplace recognize the value of usability in their global strategy. Usability testing is a well-established technique to enhance the user experience of products. It might seem like mission impossible to test applications and designs with all target culture representatives present, don’t you think?

Planning For A Sustainable Future: Helping Organisations Reduce Their Carbon Footprints

2008-09-18

The time for debate on whether human activity is changing the climate is over: there is sufficient consensus on the topic. The challenge now – for the business community, governments, and society as a whole – is to choose how to respond. In particular in the UK, the Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change sets out a powerful economic case for global action based on setting a carbon dioxide (CO2) tariff, promoting technological development, and encouraging behavioural change.

The Fifth Conference: CLEAN

2009-05-12

March 20, 2009 - At the time of writing the world economy is in the doldrums. Markets are falling, companies are going bust, people are losing their jobs and possibly their homes—the economic news is uniformly negative. It is unclear how far we still have to fall. Some say a long way yet, with plenty of misery to come. At the time you read this you may know more, or possibly less. So why on earth publish this edition on energy and the environment? Who cares in times like these?

The Fifth Conference: GROW

2010-01-25

Our prosperity is under threat. Not just due to the economic crisis, but in a structural sense. Belgium is losing its attractiveness as a place to do business; and we Belgians are losing our entrepreneurial zeal. We need to reclaim it; for our pensions, for our children. How? Join the conversation and make your mark. The Fifth Conference

The Fifth Conference: HEALTH

2011-06-01

In this edition of The Fifth Conference we explore the future of health and healthcare. The health sector, in its broadest sense, is clearly ripe for innovation. There are a number of severe challenges that need fixing, like the inequality in healthcare globally, the looming budgeting and staffing crises in the developed world and the fact that so many of us end up with incurable and painful diseases. In this edition you’ll learn about the innovations (and the people behind those innovations) that will transform the way we take care of our health, both personally and institutionally. We take both a global perspective and, in the second section of the book, a Belgian perspective.

The Fifth Conference: INNOVATORS

2008-08-21

Innovation is a hot topic in Belgium, perhaps too hot, with the result that the term is often abused in hollow marketing slogans. But we need to be clear: from an economic perspective innovation is of fundamental importance to this country.

The Fifth Conference: PEOPLE

2011-01-20

The future of education and organisations

In this edition of The Fifth Conference we take a closer look at people development and organizations. Whether you listen to corporate HR managers or educationalists, you’re bound to hear a lot of talk about ‘empowerment’, ‘engagement’ and the ‘unleashing’ of human potential. Is this a rerun of the humanist wave (remember Abraham Maslow) or is something else at hand? We think it has little to do with intellectual vogue but everything to do with technology and the internet.

The Fifth Conference: TECH

2010-06-14

Technology is everywhere

In the near future, it is argued, technology will be everywhere. In our daily lives, in our industries and the economy at large, technology will be all pervasive. And therefore we will become more reliant on technology; at every level. But are we prepared? What will this mean to us, as individuals in our daily lives, but also as entrepreneurs, as managers, as policy makers?

Transforming PCTs

2009-06-23

Transforming PCTs into World Class Organisations. The critical dependency of world class leadership. In its recent report ‘Dealing with the downturn: The greatest ever leadership challenge for the NHS?’ the NHS Confederation said the service should expect a funding shortfall of £15 billion in real terms due to the impact of the recession and rising costs.