07 Apr 2021 11:00 am

All the progress and innovation rely on at least some level of appropriation. Because innovation happens when two or more unrelated ideas collide and something new is created.

But, innovation demands both the quality as well as quantity of collisions.

Quality is driven by knowledge, diversity, intelligence, inclusion, entrepreneurship, type of stimuli, and appropriate criticism level. Quantity, on the other hand, is all about frequency and volume.

So, when there more people in a physical space, more interactions happen. If you spend more time communicating, there is more stimulus and more collisions. Although physical office space is an excellent way to increase collisions' frequency and quality, it is not the only way.

To discuss innovation, transformation, and the future of work this week, we have Robert Hillard as our guest.

We talk about:

• Virtual office practice at Deloitte.
• Some of the challenges in virtual working environments.
• What does human-centered design mean?
• How does a virtual working environment affect the innovation quotient?
• Ideas around "collision innovation."
• What would and should change in innovation space post-pandemic?
• How are SMEs adapting to the future of work? What are some challenges and solutions?

Robert is widely recognized as a leading thinker concerning the information economy. His many years of experience as an innovator and leader in consulting in Australia and overseas have seen him play a leading role in the technology profession with a particular focus on information.

Robert has held many eminent roles, including leading Deloitte Consulting in Australia, serving on Deloitte’s global board (Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited), serving as Chair of the Australian Information Industry Association, and being appointed to the Digital Expert Advisory Committee advising Prime Minister & Cabinet in Australia.

He has been involved in many public forums and presentations related to the information economy. He has written extensively, including:
– Authoring Information-Driven Business (Wiley 2010), and
– Co-authoring Information Development using MIKE2.0 (Motion 2013).

Robert’s contributions to the Australian technology industry were recognized in late 2014 with his admission as a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society.