Sebastian Thrun, Lisa Bodell coming to SA for innovation conference early 2015

Sebastian Thrun

Digital innovators

Thrun, best known for inventing Google Glass has a long history of challenging the status quo and does so off a strong technology understanding, his roots of German discipline, Silicon Valley prowess and Stanford University association. Bodell, hailed as one of the leading international innovation consultants, has successfully worked with organisations such as Merck and General Motors, in the case of the latter assisting with the profitable return to market. Marishane, the youngest ever South African patent holder, created the DryBath and in his early twenties has demonstrated the thinking that spawned leaders such as Shuttleworth, and Internet Solutions' Frankel, now a successful international venture capitalist based in Boston.

The conference will be held at the Country Club Johannesburg in an Innovation Dome that is being specially constructed for the 26 February event. Conversations with these leading individuals will highlight how they have leveraged innovation to disrupt industries and challenge technologies, re-invent companies and create phenomenal success out of the barren landscapes.

Lisa Bodell

Innovation coming from emerging economies

Touching on the themes of strategy, digital, technology and operations, these key speakers will be challenging South African government and business to step up to the plate in the broader context of driving innovation and change to meet the challenges of the country and sub-continent.

The face of digital will be foremost in discussions, as it has delivered new channels of client connections, disrupted markets and provided a unique ability for companies and geographies to leapfrog competition. This is in keeping with the prediction that 40% of innovation will be delivered to market over the next 10 to 15 years from emerging markets.

Accenture has taken this step because innovation is driving the transformation of industries, convergence of customer needs and bringing down geographic boundaries. If South Africa, as part of the broader SADC region is to take its place on the international platform, it has to recognise the imperative role that innovation will play.

Tickets to the event are available via www.accentureinnovation.co.za or the organisers, Synchronised Marketing, via az.oc.noitavonni.erutnecca@ofni.