On March 1-4, 2020, the ISPIM Connects Bangkok 2020 innovation conference will take place in Bangkok for the first time. The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) is the longest established, largest, most active, and truly international innovation network that aims to advance knowledge and practice in the domain of innovation management. If you’re interested in the field of innovation and can free up your time, then seize the opportunity and participate in ISPIM Bangkok 2020. What program highlights and delivery formats can you expect?

The ISPIM keynotes

ISPIM has lined up an exciting mix of international innovation experts and local innovation practitioners. In a series of captivating keynote talks and plenum presentations, these innovation experts will aim to inspire the audience with a mix of fresh insights, emerging trends, and new methods and tools in the innovation domain. So, who will talk about what topic?

• Marta Pérez Cusó of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific will introduce “Next-generation innovation strategies in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
• Joe Chetaphan Siridanupath of Kasikorn Business Technology Group will share local experiences and best practices in “Managing innovation in the digital age.”
• The “innovation veteran” John Bessant (Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship – University of Exeter Business School) will talk about “Crisis-driven innovation,” surely a “hot topic” given the very shaky start into the new year with the coronavirus threat and lots of other crises and surprises.
• William Malek of the SEAC Innovation Center will introduce the audience to “The 12 Creative Paradoxes that Drive Innovation in University and Industry Collaborations.”
• In his keynote “What’s going on with corporate innovation?”, Stefan Lindegaard of 9Leaders will take stock of the current state of affairs in innovation management. He will share his views on how the domain of innovation might evolve in the future.
• Natalie Turner of The Entheo Network will educate the audience on “How to Develop 4.0 Leadership skills to harness workforce diversity and drive innovation in South East Asia.”
• My colleague at Bangkok University’s Institute for Knowledge and Innovation – South-East Asia (IKI-SEA), Vincent Ribière, will explore an interesting question in his keynote: “Can Artificial Intelligence be creative?”
• Last but not least, I will also be up on stage. In my keynote titled “How to identify those agile, creative types who drive (digital) innovation,” I will argue that finding the right talents is vital for organizations to succeed in the fast-paced, disruptive innovation economy of the 21st century. Nowadays, companies need to identify those agile, creative types in the organization that cognitively can drive new (digital) innovation initiatives. How can companies do this effectively? By embracing new cognitive profiling tools designed for innovation such as Thinkergy’s innovation profiling system TIPS.

The ISPIM conference challenge

Every ISPIM conference tackles a local innovation challenge with global relevance for which the conference delegates collaboratively develop fresh perspectives and solutions. In cooperation with the Thai Management Association (TMA), we decided to work on the challenge: “How to launch new win-win initiatives to stimulate University-Industry-Government Collaboration in Thailand?”

After TMA’s CEO, Wanweera Rachdawong has introduced the conference challenge to all delegates, Maik Fuellmann (Quizzbizz) will moderate an expert panel to explore the topic further. Then, the attendees will break-out into four groups representing different segments of an innovation ecosystem (government agencies, universities, large corporations, and start-ups and SMEs). Looking at the challenge from their respective eco-systemic perspective, each group will express their needs and possible contributions to the local innovation ecosystem. After that, the groups propose solutions on how to resolve the challenge. Finally, each group will present its top solution for each particular ecosystem.

The ISPIM panels and workshops

Another interesting panel discussion to take place at ISPIM Connects Bangkok focuses on the topic, “Stimulating innovation in South-East Asia”. Led by my Vincent Ribière, the four panelists (one of which will be me) will share their views on the historic evolution and current state of innovation in the region. Thereby, the panelists will share success stories, explore challenges and opportunities, and make suggestions on how to take innovation in ASEAN to the next level.

Throughout the conference, ISPIM Connects Bangkok will also feature a series of stimulating workshops. For example, Magnus Karlsson of SIS Swedish Institute for Standard will first do a presentation on “Introduction to the ISO 56000-series of guiding standards for innovation management” and later run a workshop related to the topic “Towards a global Body of Knowledge for innovation management professionals.” John Bessant will facilitate an interactive workshop on “Integrating teaching and coaching of innovation and entrepreneurship.” Lastly, Onnida Thongpravati (University of Tasmania) will facilitate a workshop targeted to develop solutions for a second conference challenge “Digital transformation in education and training.”

The ISPIM innovation tours

On the afternoon of the third and final conference day, ISPIM Connects Bangkok will take smaller groups of interested delegates on two innovation tours. The “Technology Innovation Tour” will take delegates first to KMUTT’s Knowledge Exchange for Innovation Center (better known as KX). Later, the group will move on to the Siam Innovation District of Chulalongkorn University, where the delegates will learn about, and meet with, deep tech and social innovation startups.

Thinkergy will offer the second innovation tour, which will be run by me. We will take a group of up to 30 delegates on a “Genius Journey Walkshop.” Thereby, we will visit several well-known sights and less-known places in Bangkok. Each “destination stop” of the walkshop relates to one of the ten mindsets of geniuses and creative business leaders featured in our Genius Journey method of creative leader development. Of course, we will also do one or more eye-opening and fun-to-do Genius Exercises at each destination stop.

The ISPIM innovation tours

On the afternoon of the third and final conference day, ISPIM Connects Bangkok will take smaller groups of interested delegates on two innovation tours. The “Technology Innovation Tour” will take delegates first to KMUTT’s Knowledge Exchange for Innovation Center (better known as KX). Later, the group will move on to the Siam Innovation District of Chulalongkorn University, where the delegates will learn about, and meet with, deep tech and social innovation startups.

Thinkergy will offer the second innovation tour, which will be run by me. We will take a group of up to 30 delegates on a “Genius Journey Walkshop.” Thereby, we will visit several well-known sights and less-known places in Bangkok. Each “destination stop” of the walkshop relates to one of the ten mindsets of geniuses and creative business leaders featured in our Genius Journey method of creative leader development. Of course, we will also do one or more eye-opening and fun-to-do Genius Exercises at each destination stop.

The academic paper presentations

On days two and three of the conference, academic delegates will get the opportunity to present their latest research in a series of parallel academic presentation sessions. ISPIM has grouped academic papers into topical sessions, such as “Digital disruption and transformation,” “AI and digital innovation,” “Innovation ecosystems,” “Innovation training, teaching & coaching,” “Open innovation,” “Futures and foresight,” “Health, healthcare and innovation management,” “Business model innovation,” and “Start-ups and SMEs,” among others.

As one of the double-blind peer reviewers of the conference papers, I can assure you of the great quality and high relevance of most submissions I read. So, consider attending those academic track sessions with topics that appeal to you. It will be an excellent opportunity to get state-of-the-art insights and inspirations regardless if you’re an academic or an innovation practitioner.

The Junior Researcher Lab

On the day before the official start of its conferences, ISPIM traditionally hosts a Junior Researcher Lab for Ph.D. candidates and young Post-Doc researchers in the innovation domain. Are you one of them? Then join this informative session on March 1 and connect with —and learn from— world-class innovation researchers and journal publishers.

Conclusion: Join the learning and fun at ISPIM Connects Bangkok 2020

Are you interested in innovation? Can you free up some time on March 1-4, 2020? Then, please consider to join one or even all days of the ISPIM Connects Bangkok innovation conference. Why?

ISPIM offers you a fantastic opportunity to gain fresh inspirations from international innovation experts, local best practice innovators, and savvy researchers from around the world. It will allow you to make new connections and expand your innovation network. And it will give you the chance to learn and share more about innovation, make new friends, and have fun.

My local alma mater, the Institute for Knowledge & Innovation, South-East Asia (IKI-SEA), Bangkok University, and my innovation know-how company Thinkergy are local partners who’ve helped the conference organizers create an engaging, memorable event. We look forward to welcoming you at the ISPIM Connects Bangkok conference soon.

• Would you like to learn more about the ISPIM Connects Bangkok 2020 innovation conference or about ISPIM?
• Are you interested in attending? Then, check out the pricing for full tickets and day tickets here.
• Do you have any other questions on the upcoming? Contact ISPIM’s Iain Bitran, Dr. Vincent Ribière (Managing Director, IKI-SEA, Bangkok University) or me and tell us more about your needs.

© Dr. Detlef Reis 2020. The article is published in the Thinkergy Blog on February 27, 2020. It will be re-printed in the Bangkok Post on February 29, 2020.