Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, autonomous cars, chatbots, ICO, quantum computing… the pace at which new digital innovations permeate our daily lives accelerated yet again in 2018, upending the paradigms of now outmoded industry 1.0, and eradicating physical and intergenerational boundaries.
The digital revolution is not confined to any one continent, sector or stratum of society: a holistic phenomenon, it has made its way into every corner of the economy, society, politics, culture… spreading out across the entire world stage.
In this era of not only paeans to the advent of a Homo deus – as our all too human condition is transformed by god-like technologies such as robotics and AI, but also sermons of looming catastrophe being delivered by new preachers, the Cassandras of the Web and slaves to media hype, a sound analysis of technological developments, of evolving habits and economic data is crucial, to keep us from being led astray by grandiloquent posturing.
For more than 40 years, IDATE DigiWorld has been devoted to doing just that. To careful observation, data gathering and analysis, to modelling and forward-looking analysis, to help you better understand these many and ongoing upheavals.
This new edition of the Digital Yearbook is in tune with the profound changes taking place within our think tank (“Enlighten your digital future”) – and whose momentum has been accelerating for more than a year now.
IDATE DigiWorld is strengthening its role as Europe’s leading digital economy think tank by:
- Being more open to all of the digital economy’s stakeholders. Our current membership includes close to 80 telecoms, IT and media industry luminaries, but also more and more services and manufacturing industry players. Our members are not only major multinationals, French, European and international institutions, but also start-ups, SMEs whose power of innovation is helping to forge new value chains.
- Working to expand IDATE DigiWorld to better incorporate the many business models that are currently being rethought, as well as new innovation dynamics.
- Renovating our monthly Club meetings (Paris, London, Brussels and, starting in December, the creation of a new Club in Rabat) and our annual events programme (40 on the calendar this year).
- In 2018, we have sought to further nurture our local roots in an innovative digital ecosystem by devoting the first DigiWorld Spring Session to “Homo Digitalis” in Montpellier, Occitania.
- We have helped spread French and European digital thinking with a DigiWorld Summit dedicated to all things “Phygital”, and the issues and challenges that Europe is facing when competing in the global economy.
- And, finally, our inaugural DigiWorld Summit in Africa, DigiWorld4Africa, in collaboration with the Université Euromed in Fez, was a smashing success, and provided a chance to showcase the opportunities, achievements and challenges surrounding the leapfrogging on this continent that will be home to a quarter of our planet’s population in 2050.
- Strong and especially international growth for our consulting business. Our very singular DNA, born of the “cross-fertilisation” of our Research, Consulting and Think tank operations, combined with a rigorous methodology, has made us a valued source for shepherding digital transformation projects involving infrastructure, technological choices, economic modelling, changing uses and organisations. Our growing African footprint this year also confirmed the need to create a new IDATE DigiWorld division in Morocco, which will clearly be among the key actors in the African continent’s digital transformation.
- A more agile and digital approach to how we work and to our publications, by having our members more closely involved in choosing the issues we investigate (Deep Dive Workshops, topics explored during events and club meetings). The power of the collective intelligence embodied by our 80 members’ contributions to our think tanks, coupled with our consultants’ and experts’ analytical might, enable us to pick up on the quiet hum of growing disruptions, and to map out forward-looking scenarios, while maintaining the independent thinking that is our DNA.
This edition of the DigiWorld Yearbook will be enhanced over time, with additional material that will deepen and illustrate its analyses, and allow you to create your own personalised version of the DigiWorld Yearbook by selecting the sections and information that matter most to you.
Here’s hoping your reading experience is the perfect combination of business and pleasure.
