Master thesis : "A pathway toward a sustainable Society 5.0. A B2B strategy to address global Societal Problems through disruptive innovations."

Abstract

The Industrial Revolution took place in the 18th century thanks breakthrough innovations in mechanical engineering. Over time, production methods, factory systems, economies of scale and global value chains made it possible to manufacture, distribute and sell affordable products to the masses. Two centuries later, the era of Digital Transformation has emerged, empowering digital platforms to deliver customized services, products, customer experiences and business models, accessible from anywhere.

The next transition is on our doorstep: a Societal Revolution.

On the one hand, Society faces major global Societal Problems, such as climate change, homelessness, or biodiversity loss, requiring large-scale disruptive innovations with local, specific, and efficient solutions of global impacts.

On the other hand, when disruptive innovations and new business models are available to tackle these issues, how these entrepreneurs can create revenue streams? The B2B customer segmentation is also in question. For solutions addressing our most pressing Societal Problems, who is paying? Disruptive solutions enable innovative products or services with higher value but also high upfront R&D costs. While Innovative solutions serve Society as a whole, is the consumer still the customer? And if not, who is it? Who will invest in sustainable startups to scale up when RoI is green with positive social impact but not highly profitable in the short or mid term? As a provider of disruptive solutions, how to assess emerging market, establish roadmap for new customer-centric products development when the Society is the beneficiary? In this thesis, the problems are posed. Potential solutions and a creative strategy are explored in the context of a new paradigm: a super smart and sustainable Society 5.0.