This year, the ISPIM Innovation Conference 2021 (opens in a new window) took place in a virtual format from 20 to 23 June 2021. Over the three days, more than 600 innovation experts gave more than 300 presentations. In addition, more than 25 workshops took place.
This year's experts and thinkers included Travis Robinson, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Spotify, Rafael Laguna de la Vera, Director of the Federal Agency for Leap Innovations, and Ladeja Godina Košir, Founder and Executive Director at Circular Change & Chair of CG ECESP.
From the Institute for Entrepreneurship, Prof Dr Daniel Schallmo and Tal Berman (opens in a new window) were represented. Together they prepared the paper: "Digital Transformation of Business Models in the Israeli AgTech Landscape". In this paper, they explained the case of digital transformation of business models as it takes place in the Israeli AgTech landscape. Carina Volk, together with Jessica Hartwig, presented a paper entitled: "Overcoming the Male Bias in Youth's Entrepreneurship Attitudes". The paper examined two issues that contribute to the gender gap in the German start-up scene: gender stereotypes learned from an early age and the generic masculine in the German language. Prof Dr Daniel Schallmo and Christopher A. Williams (opens in a new window) also presented two papers entitled: "Interdisciplinary Approach to Innovation Management Research: A Conceptual Methodological Framework" and "Integrated Approach for Digital Maturity: Levels, Procedure, and In-Depth Analysis". Prof. Dr. Klaus Lang, Daniel Hasler, Tobias Hackl (opens in a new window) and Katharina Ehmig-Klassen of the Insitute for Digital Transformation (IDT) presented their research „A systems theory-based conceptual framework for holistic digital transformation“.
About ISPIM
ISPIM, the International Society for Professional Innovation Management, is a community of members from research, industry, consulting and the public sector who all share a passion for innovation management. It drives the question of how to successfully turn ideas into new products, processes and services to promote economic growth and well-being. ISPIM was founded in Norway in 1983 and is the oldest, largest and most active international innovation network.
Background to the contributions
Digital Transformation of Business Models in the Israeli AgTech Landscape
This paper aims to introduce the case for digital transformation of business models as it takes place in the Israeli AgTech landscape. For this purpose, we have mapped that landscape and conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with experts in the field. The agriculture industry, especially in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been getting a lot of attention. While farmers have been facing numerous challenges, such as climate change, lack of resources, and increased regulation, they have also received heavy pressure to produce more. In this paper, we introduce the technologies and start-ups that shape this industry and how they create value. We also discuss how, in practice, the digital transformation of business models takes place in the industry and suggest a way to develop a system-of-systems within.
Integrated Approach for Digital Maturity: Levels, Procedure, and In-Depth Analysis
The objective of the paper was to develop an integrated approach to measure and develop digital maturity. The integrated approach consists of several fundamental levels for strategically oriented digitalization. These include digital strategy, digital transformation, and digital implementation. The approach also consists of three relevant steps: an initial analysis of digital maturity, an in-depth analysis, and the derivation of measurements.
Interdisciplinary Approach to Innovation Management Research: A Conceptual Methodological Framework
Investigating agile practices has been considered a foundational research area in innovation management. Design thinking is a dynamic, innovative agile practice that has not been properly investigated using a more interdisciplinary approach. Design thinking expert facilitators possess cognitive and metacognitive processes that aid in the knowledge exchange and adaptability necessary to conduct design thinking initiatives. An investigation into the mental model of these design thinking expert facilitators aids in improved knowledge exchange and adaptability, which would greatly benefit scholars and practitioners understanding how to better facilitate design thinking. To develop a design thinking expert mental model, a rigorous conceptual methodological framework including critical design thinking principle is needed to explore the expert facilitator mental model. The proposed mental model consists of six components. The proposed framework provides a significant foundation for design thinking, and the proposed research methods provide an interdisciplinary approach that greatly contributes to further innovation management understanding.
Overcoming the Male Bias in Youth's Entrepreneurship Attitudes
This research in progress demonstrates two grievances that contribute to the gender gap in the German founding and start-up scene: Gender stereotypes learned from an early age on the one hand and the generic masculine in the German language on the other. The literature shows that both sources of tension represent barriers to female entrepreneurship. To implement early interventions to mitigate these effects, for example in the context of school education, more profound insights into adolescents' attitudes are needed. A research design is proposed that examines the impact of role models and gender-sensitive language on the male bias in the area of entrepreneurship. Here, a quantitative approach in the form of a standardized questionnaire is suggested to capture primary and secondary school students' attitudes. In particular, expectations of successful founders under the influence of role models and gender-sensitive language are examined via different priming texts. The proposed research design results will help find approaches to mitigate start-up barriers and implement them at an early stage to ultimately narrow the gender gap in the German start-up scene.
A systems theory-based conceptual framework for holistic digital transformation
In this paper, the authors promote a systems thinking perspective on digital transformation (DT) of enterprises. This perspective contributes to a more holistic, stable, time-independent and customer-centric view and is intended to manage DT ventures effectively. We analyze existing approaches, models, and frameworks regarding DT as well as the neighboring fields business model innovation and digital maturity models and assess them using systems theory terminology. Based on the analysis, we propose a systems theory-based DT framework, which consists of six dimensions. The framework is evaluated via case studies of three German SMEs currently at different stages of their DT process.
