San Francisco 2006
The 2006 seminar became a turning point—not only professionally, but personally as well. It was about people, technology, and culture, and how everything is interconnected. It was the first time I truly understood how deeply digitalization affects the way we think—not just the field itself, but our lives. Not simply a place, like San Francisco, but a “place of mind.” Presence.
Day 1
The first day was about understanding why Silicon Valley became the world’s most important innovation ecosystem. The lecturers provided insight into how collaboration among academia, entrepreneurs, and investors created a culture of sharing knowledge and learning from failure. It was the day when theory met practice—and innovation took on a human face.
Day 2
The second day in San Francisco showed us how technology and insight are interconnected. This was where we truly began to see the emergence of data-driven innovation—long before terms like “AI” and “digital twin” became part of everyday language. Speakers from IBM, Oracle, and the Institute for the Future discussed the connections between customers, culture, and systems.
For me, it was a reminder that technology never stands alone—it only works when people share knowledge and trust.
Day 3
The third day focused on open innovation and entrepreneurship. Henry Chesbrough showed how collaboration across companies can accelerate development. Jerome Engel emphasized the importance of cross-functional teams, while Erik Willums highlighted how capital can actively contribute to growth. It was the day when theory became method.
Day 4
The second-to-last day focused on how technology, data, and customer experience come together in modern retail.
Craig Stevenson from IBM showed how seamless customer journeys and shared data create competitive advantage, while Dr. Kirthi Kalyanam described the growth of e-commerce and the “Long Tail” effect. It was the day when digital strategy became customer strategy.
Day 5
The final day brought the threads together with Professor Florian Zettelmeyer from UC Berkeley. He showed how data and customer insight were transforming marketing from communication into strategy. The concept of information-intensive marketing described the emergence of today’s data economy—where insight, rather than intuition, drives innovation.
Summary
Some seminars remain purely academic. Others become a turning point. San Francisco 2006 was both.
Over the course of five days, we saw how technology, people, and culture come together as a driving force for innovation. Here, innovation was not about ideas alone, but about interaction—between people, knowledge, and trust. It was not just a place, but a “place of mind.”
