Everything is Connected
Solving current, overdue & emerging 21st century challenges require teamwork. Nothing less.
Alexander Von Humboldt, the 18th-century scientist, naturalist and explorer, world famous in his time, was one of the first to recognize and explain the fundamental functions of the mountains, rivers and rain forests for the ecosystem and climate, claiming that the world is a single intertwined and interconnected organism.
‘Everything is connected!’, he reportedly acclaimed. This is the concept of nature as we know it today. According to Von Humboldt, everything, to the smallest creature, has its role and together makes the whole, in which humankind is just one small part.
Converging Digital, Sustainable & Circular Strategies towards Future-Proof Systems
We believe that the 21st Century, with its human, societal, ecological and economical challenges clearly reconfirms and re-establishes Von Humboldt’s view and statement. We are all connected in this dynamic physical, cyber-physical and otherwise digital world, and to an increasing extent interconnected and hyperconnected.
We are now 21% in the 21st Century already so it is high time to seriously and consistently walk the talk.
DigiCirc co-leads the Way
With European cluster-led accelerator capabilities built and offered by projects such as DigiCirc, it co-leads the way in enabling SMEs and other entrepreneurs to help design, build, deploy and sustain viable components, building blocks and other particles of these ecosystems. It is well-aligned with the Commission’s Work Programme 2021, published in October 2020, for which it states a clear vision for a European ‘Union of Vitality in a World of Fragility’ [1]. The key sectors DigiCirc focuses on, being Circular Cities, Blue Economy and Bio Economy are part of said programme.
These sectors are for instance also part of other EU program of the Commission of EUR1.8 trillion, to rebuild a post-Covid19 Europe [2], stating about Europe:
‘It will be greener, more digital and more resilient, and
better fit for the current and forthcoming challenges.’
These three dimensions, Green, Digital & Resilience are spot-on, both for DigiCirc and referring the view of Von Humboldt. These dimensions are intertwined and interconnected dimensions, part of one ecosystem of ecosystems.
Societal Challenges
Where to start? Starting may seem difficult. As the notions above are generally accepted globally and by most people, they do not offer a clear starting point.
What can an entrepreneur, a group of people, a society do to make positive, green, digital & resilient impact while also having a viable and economically-sustainable value model, business model and financial model to get things both started, going, growing, scaling, resilient and future-proof? Having a big vision and focusing on the horizon is important, but having a clear starting point is prerequisite success factor as well.
For that, we would recommend starting with identifying and establishing the particular challenge(s) you would like to focus on, for instance by using the 12 Societal Challenges of Future of Living [3], as visualised below. These are in line with both the vision of the Commission as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These Societal Challenges are obviously intertwined and interconnected as well.
For instance, when analysing the various Societal Challenges that DigiCirc and its three (3) Open Calls are aiming to address, at least the following are notable:
SC1: Abundance & Scarcity
SC2: Circular Economy
SC3: Climate & Sustainability)
SC5: Farming & Food
SC8: Mobility & Logistics
SC9: Resilience (Climate, Community & Cyber)
SC11: Skills & Jobs
SC12: Water & Sanitation
Data Strategy
When solid footing has been found on the main (combination of) Societal Challenges to address, next to mapping and plotting the relevant stakeholders, value propositions and making sure one has oversight and insight before it begins, one of the main enablers will be data. Data, in all its forms and categories and with all its various values, will generally run through all the activities and ecosystems, from end to end.
Also for the Commission, from the digital perspective, data is the main priority [4]. It is the dynamic and all-present dimension that is relevant everywhere in this Digital Age. It can bring huge opportunities, benefits and gains. It is therefore high time that also within the European Union entrepreneurs, society and organisations in any sector start to organize themselves to grab this potential, in an European and collaborative way. It is high time that we all move away of just thinking in the traditional, and outdated, mode of ‘people, process & technology’.
For addressing any Societal Challenges, one will need a data strategy, and always take it in any equation, visualised below.
This is Team Sport
This is all in all a challenging problem set. There is no one solution. There is no one entrepreneur, no one corporation or no one other group with the answer. There is no one technical fixture. This is about working together, as teams. To achieve outcomes. This is a team sport.
Addressing Societal Challenges with more green, more digital and resilience may be challenging by itself, but once you know what the various values are, which stakeholders to involve and work with, and which data can cater for the sustainable start, growth and success of your mission and venture. You can then jujitsu these challenges into both high-impact and otherwise rewarding success factors. These are not challenges; these are parts of the solution. We call this Success by Design.
As DigiCirc consortium partners, we are dedicated to support you with your mission and (ad)venture as an extended part of your team. In the next period you will for instance be able to follow our online DigiCirc videos we recorded about Data, Data Strategy, Data Management Plan, Intellectual Property Rights, and the Freedom to Operate.
It’s all about teaming up.
DigiCirc, January 2021. Blog by Arthur’s Legal, Strategies & Systems
References:
[1] Commission Work Programme 2021: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/2021_commission_work_programme_en.pdf
[2] Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen welcoming the Recovery Plan and the Multiannual Financial Framework: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_20_2073/IP_20_2073_EN.pdf
[3] Societal Challenges, by Future of Living: https://instituteforfutureofliving.org/
[4] Data Strategy: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-european-strategy-data-19feb2020_en.pdf
