GAME ON!
Last year, most of the meetings we previously have had physically were replaced by digital meetings. At the same time, the need for collaboration between companies from different sectors, authorities and universities to find solutions to complex sustainability-challenges and harvesting the rapid technological development increases. The number of meetings may have increased for many of us, but have we been able to keep up the pace of innovation and started new creative partnerships? Have we come out of discussions “realizing that we didn´t know that we did not know”?
We are constantly getting better at participating in knowledge- and expert groups on global, regional as well as local levels. Through the digital formats, that we have been forced to adapt to, we have also been able to interact with a wider group. One example is a seminar arranged by Stena Recycling in April on the theme “From Waste to Circular Products” attracting thousands of participants (instead of the more usual hundreds). Apart from the possibility to host more participants, it has also been much easier to attract an international representation on-line.
A lot of innovation-power sparks from spontaneous meetings with new acquaintances, and many of us have difficulties having these in front of a screen. However, a large part of the younger generation already masters the abilities to connect on a deeper level also via the screen from hours of practicing this skill playing computer games (many of them also being less sensitive to time-zones since they are used to gaming in global networks late at night…). In the digital gaming world everything is possible! Apart from feeling more comfortable with communicating through the screen, if we would try some gaming (including getting used to Virtual & Augmented Reality headsets), it may also make it easier for us to imagine how the world Away From Keyboard may function in alternative ways.
It will be great to meet more partners in person, but by continuing to use digital collaboration-platforms (including virtual worlds where we act through Avatars) the chance increases that we can visualize our ideas and connect to new partners globally who can help us accomplish the visions. If we can imagine something useful and find the right collaboration partners, we will find ways to make it work. I have still not started gaming, but as many others, I have at least upgraded to a high-performance gaming headset.
Mats Torring
Head of Stena New Ventures, Stena Metall Group
