Biography

Professor Yesha Sivan is the Executive Director of The Coller Institute of Venture at Tel Aviv University Coller School of Management. He is also a visiting professor of innovation and venture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prof Sivan's professional experience includes developing and deploying innovative solutions for corporate, hi-tech, government, and defense environments.

He published numerous papers in the areas of strategy and IT, innovation and venture, knowledge, 3D3C virtual worlds, and standards. Sivan received his doctorate from Harvard University. He has taught EMBA, MBA, engineering and design courses in his areas of expertise.

Speech Title and Synopsis

Organizations in any size are facing tremendous pressures in the 21st. It seems that change is everywhere with suppliers, customers, employees, and shareholders are all expecting and acting in new ways. There is one universal ingredient to deal with change - it is the ability to change, and change often. Also knowing as "Being Agile."

A critical component of being Agile – is fully harnessing the digital force. The six digital-driven transformations are neither technologies nor business models per se; rather, they define the key engine for the agile organization.

The first three are external transformations that describe how digital technologies are changing the market:

1. From atoms to bits. The first transformation involves converting physical products and services into digital products and services.
2. From places to spaces. The second transforms physical marketplaces into digital and virtual market spaces.
3. From products to services. The third transforms focus on the shift from pure products into services relate products.

The next three are internal transformations that describe how digital technologies have altered the models and tools we use for strategy and business model formulation:

1. From sustainable competitive advantage to transient competitive advantage. Organizations must understand the dynamics of the new environment. Indeed, they must become more agile and responsive and operate in a world of short-term/transient competitive advantage.
2. From disruptive innovation to "killer" innovation. When it comes to the digital landscape, the well-known process of disruptive innovation, which in the past could sometimes take years to disrupt, has accelerated into a matter of months, or even weeks.
3. From classical business models to digital business models. Digital technologies have augmented the standard business model and transformed it into a digital business model.