ITNewsAfrica’s 10th Innovation Dinner, a bi-monthly executive networking and event, was held last night at the Michelangelo Hotel Sandton, Johannesburg. The event highlighted Green IT technologies and trends that enable companies to operate more efficiently, to create a positive impact on both their businesses and the environment.
Four speakers, Kanagaratnam Lambotharan, MTN CTO, Fritz Milosevic, Investment Banker Telecommunications, media and Technology at Nedbank Capital, Jason Schäffler, CEO of Nano Energy and international guest speaker, Ravi Chhatpar, frog Shanghai Strategy Director discussed trends in efficient technology, finding sustainability driven funding models for Green ICT and whether or not going green is the right strategy for corporate organisations. The event was chaired by Graham Vorster, HP Networking Country Manager.
What’s next for green innovation?
Chhatpar’s presentation focused on cutting edge green innovation ideas that inspire people, culture and technology. He shared his perspective on what it takes to be successful in green innovation.
“One of the challenges we face at frog is that green innovation in particular, is one of those complex and thorny types of innovation that many consumers are having extreme difficulty in adopting,” said Chhatpar.
“So what is it that will truly motivate an individual to change their behaviour?”, Chhatpar asked the ICT delegates.
Chhatpar said there’s a notion that innovation starts from searching for inspiration.
“Inspiration is much more difficult than we think,” he said.
“It’s not like it used to be, it no longer comes from a single person with a brilliant idea. We often have to invest heavily in searching for inspiration,” said Chhatpar.
“Inspiration itself comes from searching for the right question and the right question that can be provocative enough to allow us to look at a situation from a very different point of view and therefore come up with ideas that were maybe not worth thinking about before,” said Chhatpar.
Chhatpar asked critical question in relation to green innovation by using an electric vehicle as an example of how the future of driving may unfold.
“What happens when you need an ecosystem to trigger green behaviour – it’s not the product itself but something that happens around the product that is actually the motivator to change behaviour,” he concluded.
The next ITNewsAfrica Innovation Dinner will be held in December 2011. The confirmed date will be announced soon.
Bontle Moeng – ITNewsAfrica Online Editor
