In his 2012 book Mastery, author Robert Green discusses the need to allow for serendipity in order to foster creativity and new ideas. The idea is that our brains are wired to make connections and see patterns, and for new ideas to occur, we need to break loose of our narrow field of view that occupies our focus for most of our waking work life.
He writes:
Many of the most interesting and profound discoveries in science occur when the thinker is not concentrating directly on the problem but is about to drift off to sleep, get on a bus, or hear a joke—moments of un-strained attention when something unexpected enters the mental sphere and triggers a new and fertile connection.
I think about this as I’m spending more and more time planning the next editions of Transformation Conference, our annual clash of ideas where we let innovators from the tech industry meet people from the fashion industry.
Looking back at last year’s events, happening both in Helsinki and in Stockholm, what comes to mind is not the thoughtful ideas presented in the keynotes, or the discussions being displayed in the many panel talks, but rather the more relaxed interactions at the round table discussions that ended the events.
The idea behind bringing the speakers, visiting tech companies, and a handful of industry VIPs was to foster new types of connections that do not necessarily occur in people’s daily lives.
The result?
The overwhelming majority of the positive feedback we received after the event mentioned the round tables as the most important part of the event. The reason for this is simple: we provided a natural situation for serendipitous connections.
We are at a pivotal moment for the fashion industry. A tsunami of regulations is approaching the fashion industry, and many fashion brands are starting to worry about the upcoming requirements to track and trace the entire value chain through the so-called Digital Product Passport. Some brands have started experimenting, as previously covered in our feeds here and here, but many are filled with worry and confusion.
We aim to address this in the upcoming sessions in Helsinki (end of May), Copenhagen, and Stockholm (both in August). Right now, we are scouring the market for the many DPP pilots happening, ensuring the innovators behind them will share their results. We have noticed in our research that many good things are happening – Vinnova-funded pilot projects and industry organizations are leading various initiatives to get the ball rolling. But as development is moving fast, companies and brands can’t always keep up with it all.
That’s what I’m hoping for the upcoming conferences: a renewed sense of collaboration.
And a fair bit of serendipity.
