UTU TECH Seminar with Saku Mäkinen, professor of industrial management - Some views on technology and change
The Faculty of Technology organises UTU TECH Seminar with professor of industrial management Saku Mäkinen from Tampere University. This seminar will deal with some recent results from research investigating technology, individual and organisational behaviour, and institutional changes. No registration is required, welcome!
- Time: December 1st, 2021 at 11.15 – 12.15
- Place: Lecture hall X, Natura
- Speaker: Saku Mäkinen, professor of industrial management
- Topic: Some views on technology and change
Some views on technology and change
With the Glasgow climate summit the eyes and ears of the world are directed towards newest messages on sustainability and climate change. In the press coverage, it becomes apparent that the utilisation of technology has permeated all levels of the society and is becoming central issue also in fighting the issues of climate crisis and biodiversity loss. All-encompassing presence of technology creates opportunities to do new things but at the same time it induces negative feelings and sense of threat. At the same time, COVID-pandemic has posed individuals and organisations alike challenges of remote work, tele-collaboration and other distance activities that have been resolved with digital technologies at unprecedented pace.
All this has generated changes in attitudes people have towards technology, while raising concerns also giving rise to sense of urgency in using technologies to fight pressing issues like climate change. Technological progress has also been vividly visible at vaccine development and the incredible pace achieved in pharma development, which is positive as such but has also created concerns towards vaccines. Similarly, citizenship is evolving towards more participative and sustainability-oriented behaviour, like vegan movement or circular economy related actions are occurring in part due to technological progress. Hence, understanding and managing technological progress and change is pivotal to solving human problems and it requires multi-disciplinary approach to be successful.
This quest lecture will shortly deal with some recent results from research investigating technology, individual and organisational behaviour, and institutional changes.
Mäkinen’s research is in the intersection of strategic management, and technology and innovation management, and most of his work is in close collaboration with industry. Mäkinen is especially keen on understanding and helping organizations in managing value creation, designing product strategies and competitive advantage. In his latest research he has been studying e.g. companies’ decision-making regarding innovation portfolio, science-based start-ups, disruptive innovations in business ecosystems and technology-based competition and collaboration in business and innovation ecosystems.
