* By Rodolfo Fücher
The title of this article portrays the new normal, where the normal is the non-normal. Technology changes sides, is no longer a cause to become an effect or a consequence. At one point, technology is responsible for fueling the tide of disruption, at another, it's the lifesaver. External factors, such as the pandemic, become veritable tsunamis, taking markets out of our reach and causing businesses to capsize. But, in any situation, technology began to play a fundamental role in the survival of the business and was transformed from a villain into a heroine.
The “exponential waves” become present, intense and unexpected, undo global value chains, change the habits and practices of companies and people, and reinforce the pressing need to work under the resilience of the digital. It is clear to distinguish those who were aware of new technologies and those who were not. There is no more room for the heedless. Three types come into being: those who drown, those who overturn but survive (as they say: take a “broth”), and those who surf the wave. The question is simple: which one do you want to be? The answer is easy, but being prepared to ride the wave requires a lot of dedication and experiment. Learning from the mistakes and successes of others can be one way. A recently sought-after model is open innovation, a cheap and low-risk way, even in traditional segments, where innovation is also a survival factor, such as food, construction, finance, among others.
What else can happen? Hard to answer. But many experts say that we need to change our habits if we are to continue living on this planet Earth. In 2050, we will be 10 billion people, living in just 20% of the globe – a habitable and productive part. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the ideal number of inhabitants that the earth could sustainably house would be between 1.5 to 3 billion people. Today there are already several startups around the world researching how to produce animal meat in a laboratory based on stem cells, others developing vegetable meat with the objective of drastically reducing the environmental impact of animal production. Now, imagine an animal protein producer, with millions invested in space and production, when in Singapore they discover a way to produce chicken and stem cell based vegetable meat, quickly, tasty, nutritious, with no environmental impact, no need large warehouses and etc… this is not far from happening in this city-state on the Asian continent. And for a very simple reason: have just passed a law allowing the production of stem cell-based meat sales .
In this frantic search to innovate, be prepared to surf the wave, create new opportunities, new sources of income, new business models, such as the countless applications known as the gig economy that in European Union countries generate income for about 1/3 of the population, we may encounter a powerful enemy: regulation. With the power of a tsunami, it can annihilate business models and thousands of new opportunities. The tax issue is the worst of the worst tectonic plates, any move without due debate increases the risk of doing business in Brazil even more, where even the past is uncertain. We would certainly be in the stone age if more than 5,000 years ago a law was published prohibiting the most diverse applications of fire and the wheel due to their potential risks.
There is yet another extremely important element for surfing the next wave: the human factor. Identifying and preparing the necessary skills and competences becomes vital. Knowing new technologies and trends has become essential for any employee of any company. There are companies training all employees in artificial intelligence, so they can contribute to the improvement of processes and new models.
To reflect more on these points and help companies achieve digital resilience and ride the next exponential wave, the ABES Conference 2021 ” Exponential Waves, Digital Resilience ” promotes debates on the 14th, 15th and 16th of September. There will be three days of exchanging expectations and experiences. On the first day, the theme is digital resilience. In the second, the focus is on the business environment and the regulatory transformations necessary for the digital economy. Finally, on the third day, the focus is on human protagonism and the construction of skills necessary for this new era.
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