Reports

Seminar

The 5th “Design x Business x Entrepreneurship” seminar for thinking about the future, “In-house entrepreneurial activities to materialize your own thoughts through design thinking and UX—Game Changer Catapult”.

February 6th, 2020

Kyushu University Faculty of Design, Kyushu University Business School (QBS), and Robert T. Huang Entrepreneurship Center of Kyushu University (QREC) held the 5th “Design x Business x Entrepreneurship” seminar for thinking about the future. We have invited Mr Masanori Fukuda, representative of Game Changer Catapult of Appliances Company, Panasonic Corporation to give a talk. He spoke on the theme “In-house entrepreneurial activities to materialize your own thoughts through design thinking and UX—Game Changer Catapult (Theme: Large Companies x Innovation).” The seminar was a success with 33 people participating from inside and outside the university. The following report of the seminar was provided by Associate Professor Satoru Tokuhisa, of the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University.

For the seminar, Mr Fukuda gave a presentation session followed by a Q&A session.

During the presentation, he started highlighting the changes occurring in the world and with consumers, products, the manufacturing process, and the distribution process with actual examples. According to the theory of Dr John Seely Brown, what is required among these changes is how to fight using learning ability.

He then introduced the Game Changer Catapult initiative, which is an in-house accelerator of Panasonic Corporation. The Game Changer Catapult started in 2017 to design the future of home electronics, and 2019 is the fourth run. This initiative has already given birth to 120 projects. The new business prototype arising from Game Changer Catapult is the method that can be picked up by the operations department and business development center. BeeEdge, a joint venture between Venture Capital and Panasonic Appliances, has already made two investments and made them into business companies.

During the Q&A session following the presentation, there are a variety of questions posed by the participants in person and also, the moderator selected some questions posted via slido. The following are the main questions discussed.
・Background behind the establishment of Game Changer Catapult and the points for convincing management
・Difficulties and dilemmas in operating Game Changer Catapult
・Transfer of intellectual property from large companies to the new business companies
・Requirements for realizing open innovation by small and medium-sized companies

Mr Fukuda also talked about the dilemma that arises in large companies between the new businesses and the reform in working style. When a new business is planned, it is difficult to comply with the working environment of short working hours and weekdays advocated by the reformed working style revolution. However, long working hours create a physical and mental burden on employees. Hence, sufficient care must be provided by management.

 

[Lecturer]
Masanori Fukata (Game Changer Catapult Representative [Appliances Company, Panasonic Corporation])
Joined Panasonic in 1989. After joining, served in such roles overseas marketing for AV equipment, advertising manager for foreign markets, Olympics project leader, Panasonic Canada sales manager, and from 2016 as representative of the Game Changer Catapult initiative to materialize the “Future of Home Electronics” within Panasonic.

Flyer
Masanori Fukata
Satoru Tokuhisa

Date

February 6th (Thu), 2020: Open 6 p.m. Starts 6:30 p.m.

Venue

Design Common 2F, Kyushu University Ohashi Campus

4-9-1 Shiobaru Minami-ku Fukuoka Japan

Contact

Kyushu University Faculty of Design, The Office of Strategic Initiatives and Projects

tanoue.chiharu.215(a)m.kyushu-u.ac.jp

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Design for LGBTs and an Inclusive Society
ハサミムシとプロトエリトロプテランのペーパークラフト
ハサミムシ扇子の作り方
Ohashi campus
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