How To Understand The Future Of Social Media

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1 Future of Media and Communications FMC Research Group at Finland Futures Research Centre FFRC Turku School of Economics TSE Professor Sirkka Heinonen and Researcher Sofi Salonen Presentation at the 4th European Futurists Conference Lucerne, Switzerland, October 26-28, 2008 Structure of Presentation I Social Media in the Crossroads of Physical, Digital and Virtual Worlds (SOMED research project) II Futures 3.0 Social Media in Building Sustainable Futures (research proposal) III Global Innovation Journalism (GINJO research project) IV New Innovation Mindset (workshop results) 1

2 I Social Media in the Crossroads of Physical, Digital and Virtual Worlds (SOMED research project) What is Social Media? Social Media means tools, spaces and opus moderandi for people interacting with each other, creating, sharing, exchanging and commenting contents in virtual communities and networks Web 2.0 Blogosphere MySpace Facebook LinkedIn Flickr Twitter Jaiku ShapingTomorrow Habbo Hotel etc etc 2

3 The project on Social Media in the Crossroads of Physical, Digital and Virtual Worlds (SOMED) was conducted at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland The foresight part of the project was carried out in cooperation with Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC) The SOMED project was launched in autumn 2006 to be concluded in autumn Where and When? Why and How? The aim is to support the development of user-friendly and value-adding applications that are needed in the digital everyday of technology-mediated communities. A foresight approach was integrated to the SOMED project right from its beginning. It meant probing future perspectives of social media from technical, societal and business points of view. Co-operation with participating companies. Collaborative workshops, seminars and papers. 3

4 The Foresight of Social Media as a threefold process 1 The first task was to identify weak signals of future digital user cultures Reported in Ahlqvist, T., Halonen, M. and Heinonen, S. (2007). Weak Signals in Social Media. Report on Two Workshop Experiments in Futures Monitoring. SOMED Foresight Report 1. VTT Research report Nro VTT-R Espoo Weak Signals in Social Media SOMED Foresight Report 1 4

5 The Foresight of Social Media as a threefold process 2 The second task was to analyse the phenomenon and core elements of social media by means of expert interviews Reported in Heinonen & Halonen (eds) (2007). Making Sense of Social Media. Interviews and Narratives. Research Report VTT-R Espoo, 76 p. report Heinonen, Sirkka and Halonen, Minna (2007). Making Sense of Social Media. Interviews and Narratives. Presentation at Speakers' Corner, Lucerne. 22nd November, ppt slides + text 3 p. Making Sense of Social Media SOMED Foresight Report 2 5

6 3 The third task was to construct roadmaps of the anticipated developments of social media in the future digital world. Reported in The Foresight of Social Media as a threefold process Ahlqvist, T., Bäck, A., Halonen, M. & Heinonen, S. (2008). Social Media Roadmaps exploring the futures triggered by social media. VTT Research Notes (forthcoming soon). Three volumes in a series of SOMED Foresight Reports, building up a continuum on the basis of the each previous foresight report. 6

7 Some further results Heinonen, Sirkka (2007). User-Inspired Innovation in Experience- Oriented Knowledge Society. Commentary in the Session on User- Inspired Innovation in the Seminar "New Innovation Challenges for Europe and Asia", organised jointly by IISS and Sitra, Hanasaari, Helsinki slides and 3 p. text. Ahlqvist, Toni, Halonen, Minna & Heinonen, Sirkka (2007). Social Media Applications for Innovative Working Environments. 9th International Conference of Finland Futures Research Centre and Finland Futures Academy "Culture as Innovation The Search for Creative Power in Economies and Societies", Session on Social Media and Technology I, 6 8 June 2007, Turku, Finland. SirkkaHeinonen 7

8 II Futures 3.0 Social Media in Building Sustainable Futures (research proposal) New Research proposal To be carried out at Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC) in In co-operation with interested parties in Finland and other countries Currently looking for participants and funding 8

9 Aim1: To identify and analyse the logics, dynamics, and possibilities of new business models based on social media SirkkaHeinonen Aim2: To study the future of media and communications SirkkaHeinonen 9

10 Aim3: To foresee and analyse the changing profession of journalists Aim4: To highlight and debate the role of social media in building sustainable futures in an ethically and ecologically sustainable experience society SirkkaHeinonen 10

11 SirkkaHeinonen III Global Innovation Journalism (GINJO research project) 11

12 Innovation journalism Assumes journalism has a central role within the innovation ecosystem. It s task is to identify and report on issues such as: - emerging concepts, - science and technology trends, - business models, - politics, - cultural trends, - social impacts of innovation and more. InJo can be seen either as a new, horizontal newsbeat or as a mindset within traditional newsbeats. Aims of the GINJO -project The main aims of the research project are: to enlarge and deepen the knowledge of global innovation journalism to introduce and adapt new methods and tools from the futures studies for news media. Case studies topics are: green tech, especially related to climate change and energy efficiency eldercare innovations 12

13 GINJO in practice The duration of the project is from September 1 st 2008 to December 31 st 2010 The project is funded by Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) The research consortium consists of Department of Mass Communication/University of Tampere, Department of Communication/University of Jyväskylä, and Futures Research Centre/Turku School of Economics. GethinWhile 13

14 IV New Innovation Mindset (workshop results) Grasping the Future 08 Conference A Challenge for Future Learning and Innovation Helsinki 1-3 October 2008 Scientific Track 1, October 1, 2008 Chair: Sirkka Heinonen, Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), Turku School of Economics Participants: 40 14

15 Speakers: Juha Saukkonen, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences Antti Ainamo, IASM, University of Turku Raija Leskinen, Helsinki School of Economics Martin Rhisiart, University of Glamorgan Center for Research in Futures and Innovation GethinWhile Results from a collaborative exercise at Scientific Track 1 Key Ideas for a New Innovation Mindset? 1/4 In the new innovation paradigm we should concentrate on what is the core of innovation: real actors and how to use learning commutes as a tool for innovation platform. System of Value Creation Participation and Democracy It is not that much about learning new things, it is about learning away from old thinking Organizational Culture Renewal Intuition, Imagination, Emotion 15

16 Results from a collaborative exercice at Scientific Track 1 Key Ideas for a New Innovation Mindset? 2/4 Understanding of Value/importance of innovation -> Courage to think outside the box to try different ways -> among managers, decision-makers, financers, experts New actors in the system/new roles Iterative and valid modes of continuous dissemination and feedback <- reinforcing over time and geography Innovation theory needs to deal with power issues involved in the process Results from a collaborative exercice at Scientific Track 1 Key Ideas for a New Innovation Mindset? 3/4 Thinking about innovation - however scientific it would be - must have some practical outcomes or ways of utilization as it is supposed to be the base of economy development. The more applying approach researches and scientists will have the better it will be. Organizational view of innovation & Learning organization for better business? 16

17 Results from a collaborative exercice at Scientific Track 1 Key Ideas for a New Innovation Mindset? 4/4 Systemic thinking Learning in an active way Collaborative action SirkkaHeinonen HeikkiLeinonen 17

18 Contact Professor Sirkka Heinonen Researcher Sofi Salonen Finland Futures Research Centre, Turku School of Economics Helsinki office Korkeavuorenkatu 25 A 2, FI Helsinki, Finland 18