CASE Center conference focuses on global collaboration, U.S. challenges

CASE Center conference focuses on global collaboration, U.S. challengesMarch 20, 2006Sara Millersemortim@syr.edu

On Wednesday, March 22, at 3:30 p.m., Robert D. Atkinson of the Progressive Policy Institute will lecture on “Global Collaboration: U.S. Challenges,” focusing on the elements of Friedman’s “triple convergence” at the Sheraton Syracuse Hotel & Conference Center. His presentation is one of a series of conferences throughout March and April sponsored by the CASE Center at Syracuse University and based on the concepts presented in Thomas L. Friedman’s best-selling book “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century”(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005).

Atkinson will discuss how the United States can no longer take its leadership in the innovation economy for granted as developing nations, particularly China and India, pose new challenges in advanced technologies. He will also speak about how advanced nations are catching up as they transform to a new economy and begin to see the advantages of innovation-led growth.

Atkinson will also discuss the geopolitical components of a flattened world and explore why–in a digital economy–distance does not matter as an increasing share of work in developing nations is being digitized and done on a computer or telephone. Atkinson has discovered that many of these nations have not been sitting idle; rather, they have aggressively developed infrastructure, boosted skills and developed attractive business climates.

Atkinson will also focus on the many advantages Central New York companies have in the global innovation environment, with access to vibrant capital markets, a high level of entrepreneurship, high levels of university licensing and patenting, strong information technology adoption and relatively competitive product and labor markets. Challenges in this environment include declining federal support for innovation, ad hocnational innovation and trade strategy, short-term orientation by companies and a decline in government funding for research, especially applied non-biomedical R&D.

Each session will also be geared toward collaboration and interaction and each speaker will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A featuring regional business leaders. Panelists for the March 22 session are David Michel, director of economic development for the City of Syracuse; Chung-Chi Cha, CEO of Purplewire; and Todd Donovan, vice president of corporate ventures for Sensis. A final portion of each event will be set within a networking framework, allowing attendees to interact with the keynote speaker, panel members and each other.

In his book, Friedman describes how the global playing field has been leveled by leaps in information technology and the Internet. The world is now connected and intertwined in ways never previously imagined. Today’s knowledge-based economies are shaped by flows of talent, ideas and innovation across physical and political boundaries. Businesses from India to Albany, Singapore to Syracuse are no longer limited by size or location. Capitalizing on what Friedman calls the “10 flatteners” provides real local economic advantage. The conference sessions are geared toward regional businesses and educators seeking opportunities in a flat world. By creating an environment for exchanging ideas, it is hoped that the sessions will foster greater collaboration between New York State’s businesses, academia and a flat world marketplace for commerce, ideas and innovation.

In the next session on Wednesday, April 5, Christian F. Callieri of AT Kearney will present “Making the Right Supply Chain Decisions.” Callieri will speak about the opportunities of global supply chains for U.S. businesses and employees and will discuss how even experienced companies using global supply chains are discovering they may be missing key elements of the economic analysis.

The final session, “Growing in a Flat World,” will be Wednesday, April 19, and feature Malcolm Frank, senior vice president of marketing and strategy for Cognizant Technologies Solutions. Frank will focus on the identification of a company’s core competencies and unique value propositions in a flat world. He will offer several examples of companies that have pursued successful globalization strategies. Information about interview opportunities will be available in the near future.

The events will run from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Registration can be accomplished byvisiting http://www.case.syr.edu or calling 461-0068. Each session has an admission price of $40per person, with a student rate of $10 per person. A panel discussion and networking event will follow the keynote address. The conferences can be attended as stand-alone sessions or as a series offering a cohesive global perspective of opportunities for Central New York businesses and individuals.

The Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, Central New York Technology Development Organization (TDO), Metropolitan Development Agency (MDA), National Grid and Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) are associated with the conferences as contributing partners. Syracuse.com and the Business Journal are media partners for the conference.

The mission of the CASE Center is to be a key contributor to the high-technology economy of New York state by providing access to the resources of Syracuse University and collaborating with New York state businesses and economic development organizations. The CASE Center is a New York State Center of Advanced Technology supported by the New York State Office of Science, Technology & Academic Research (NYSTAR). CASE operates a high-technology incubator, manages joint university-industry applied research projects and provides workforce development educational opportunities within a broad information technology focus area.