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On 22 January 2010, the Tällberg Foundation in cooperation with Vinnova, hosted a seminar on breakthrough technologies and the next frontier of innovation, Stockholm.
Need is the Mother of Invention:
But what does the future need?
In the widely anticipated transformation to a more sustainable society, breakthrough technologies will shape markets, behaviours and, ultimately, values. While evolving technology has always changed our way of life, what is different this time is that the next frontier of innovation needs to be shaped more than ever before. This seminar will explore this next frontier.
New ways of carrying out daily life, in business, industry, food production, transportation and leisure, are needed that dramatically reduce human pressure on the global environment. The aim is not only to find solutions that deliver carbon neutrality and preservation of ecosystems that provide vital services, but must include the management of limited natural resources, water and waste. For supply to meet demand from an expected population growth, natural resource and energy effectiveness will need to be significantly greater than that of today.
Science now shows that nine planetary systems are under threat of destabilisation – from the global climate to the fresh water, phosphorus and nitrogen cycles. We also know that raw materials, such as many mined minerals and rare metals have limited availability. Armed with this knowledge, innovators today have a new brief for their ideas. The field is open, with increasingly aware consumers, fiercer critique of existing technologies from cars to flat screen TVs. Facilitating legislation is potentially emerging from climate talks and next years biodiversity convention. Entrepreneurs, engineers and innovators are stepping up to the challenge. Demands from IT society force consistency in innovations to protect reputation.
In past seminars from VINNOVA and the Tällberg Foundation, discussions have centred around barriers to innovation. Most recently, in September, legislation that assists innovations to market was the topic. Now we asked, how do we know when an innovation is the right one? What are the criteria for ideas that will shape the future? Can we combine our trust in Nature and our hope in technology?
“Our deepest hope as humans lies in technology; but our deepest trust lies in nature. These forces are like tectonic plates grinding inexorably into each other in one, long, slow collision. This collision is not new, but more than anything else it is defining our era. Technology is steadily creating the dominant issues and upheavals of our time.” (Brian Arthur in his book, The Nature of Technology).
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The author of these words joined us as guest speaker at this seminar. Professor Brian Arthur, who is one of the world’s foremost experts in technology and systems thinking, and an External Faculty Member of the Santa Fe Institute in the United States, will look at the role of technological innovations in the coming transformation. Historically it has been very difficult to predict how technology will evolve in the future, but in this seminar we explored a variety of technological areas, and discuss their future evolution – in the ultimate challenge to unite our trust in nature and the hope brought by technology.
Program
08.30 Coffee and registration
09.00 Introduction: Planetary Boundaries – defining the limits of trust
Rebecca Oliver, Tällberg Foundation
09.15 Keynote: Technolology of the future. Has the path forward become visible?
Brian Arthur, Visiting Professor, Santa Fe Institute, USA
10.00 Coffee
10.20 Panel discussion: Can our hope in technology protect our trust in nature?
Charlotte Brogren, VINNOVA; Brian Arthur, Visiting Professor, Santa Fe
Institute, USA; David Kulander, Product Manader - Arkitektur & Fordon. Moderator:
Ulla-Britt Fräjdin-Hellqvist, Foundation for Strategic Research
11.00 Discussion around tables and questions to the panel
Moderator: Rebecca Oliver, Tällberg Foundation
11.50 Final words: Reworking the world
Bo Ekman, Tällberg Foundation
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