Conference Review: First European conference on the subject - "Leveraging Knowledge for Sustainable Advantage

David J. Skyrme, 1996

Here are some notes from the first European conference on the subject -"Leveraging Knowledge for Sustainable Advantage" organised by Business Intelligence, and held on 26th and 27th March. This is not intended to be a blow by blow session report - more some personal impressions. Proceedings are avialbe from Business Intelligence, Forum House, 1 Graham Road, Wimbledon, LONDON, SW19 3SW - Tel: +44 181 544 1830.

Overview The conference was attended by over 100 delegates with good representation from pharmaceutical companies, financial services, hi tech and consultants. Much of the programme used speakers from last year's US conference, and high profile ones at that. These included Gordon Petrash (Dow), Charles Savage (Knowledge Enterprises), Larry Prusak (Ernst & Young), Hubert St. Onge (CIBC), Leif Edvinsson (Skandia), Bipin Junnarkar (Monsanto). New ( I believe) on the circuit were Sally Anne Moore (DEC), Dr. Josef Hofer-Alfeis (Siemens) and Keith Pearse (BP) and Rob van der Speck (International KNowledge Network).

What was new? For those who have been to such conferences before, probably not a lot. There were some good case examples of the different approaches to KM by different types of company. Many speakers seemed to converge on examples and categories used by others. There seems to be a pattern and legitimacy building around the subject. For me, what was new, was the intrigue of many of the delegates, who had clearly been keen to go (or asked to go) to find out how "real" this subject was.

Key themes (for me)

Other Observations

Personal comment

Summary for KMF

Do the above comments, and observations by other KMF members about the state-of-art, state-of-practice, create the need for KMF to fulfil some basic education role?

I would welcome any feedback, or comments from other KMF members who have attended such meetings.

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David J. Skyrme                        Tel/Fax: +44 1635 551434   

David Skyrme Associates Limited         Newbury, Berks, England        

            

a member of the ENTOVATION Network          

Knowledge Innovation (sm) Strategies for the Millennium                

 http://www.hiway.co.uk/skyrme/entovatn.htm

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