[PeaceWare]: Going global; Design and ICT for development
BlåHimmel has co-sponsored an academic/private sector/NGO partnership to examine the potential for global partnerships for developing innovative solutions to ICT design problems in the developing world comprising business, civil society and research.
Lars went with Anders Michelsen from Copenhagen University on a research trip to Colombo to work out the concept together with our partners there: A small innovative IT company: Infoshare. The project is now establishing the institutional framework, presently represented by:
- The Aarhus School of Architecture, – a Danish design and architecture college, now developing a strategy for global engagement, and with a commitment to mode 2 research and process design.
- InfoShare, Sri Lanka, a non-profit technical support organization providing web media services and application development to GOs and NGOs in the development sector.
- Zentropa WorkZ – an innovation company in Copenhagen (part of Zentropa, Scandinavia’s biggest film group), specializing in idea development and innovation processes based on methodologies from the creative industries.
- Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen, focusing on central aspects of modern culture based on studies of visual culture, aesthetics, theater, art, design, music, relating to computer media and the internet.
Working premises of the pre-project:
- Tagcloud: process-design, open-source, civil-society-2.0, creative-commons, network-economy, global-entrepreneurship, sustainable-development
- New innovation formats for sustainable development is needed.
- Social entrepreneurship provides a progressive and sustainable alternative to the donor driven development system.
- ICT design in development has big potential for direct positive social impact.
- “Mode 2 research” is on the agenda in research and business, but concrete models, not least for global mode 2 needs to be developed and role models established.
- A true interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral (triple helix) structure, will provide the biggest potential for innovation.
- New media technologies can provide both a working method (ie. internet networks and cscw), and product focus.
- Design must be seen in an expanded view where by the novel research agenda of involving e.g. culture, anthropology, management, constitutes a potential for contributions to new innovations formats.
- Denmark has potential for system exports (process design); Danish social entrepreneurship on a global stage however has still to be developed.
onsdag, oktober 04, 2006
onsdag, juni 21, 2006
onsdag, juni 14, 2006
Meeting places for social entreprenuership
A team at Zentropa WorkZ came up recently with quite nice idea for a design4development portal – a simple setup directly connecting a community of industrial designers with private donors with social entrepreneurs in 3rd world contexts.
The portal will allow specific industrial designs targeting specific needs (for instance tents, solar panels, water cleaners) to be formulated, designed and proposed as solutions.
The iffy thing is that the goal is an implement able design with full production plans, and startup capital (from donors) for a local social entrepreneur to actually setup and implement production of the design.
The donor-donation-implementation triangle becomes very transparent with a lot of storytelling attached, bypassing the anonymous GO or NGO run donor-facilitation scheme.
And most important doing it with an entrepreneurial zeal that actually may bring some real value creating global networks up and running.
The portal will allow specific industrial designs targeting specific needs (for instance tents, solar panels, water cleaners) to be formulated, designed and proposed as solutions.
The iffy thing is that the goal is an implement able design with full production plans, and startup capital (from donors) for a local social entrepreneur to actually setup and implement production of the design.
The donor-donation-implementation triangle becomes very transparent with a lot of storytelling attached, bypassing the anonymous GO or NGO run donor-facilitation scheme.
And most important doing it with an entrepreneurial zeal that actually may bring some real value creating global networks up and running.
torsdag, maj 25, 2006
Agile networks
Products and processes in all industries are increasingly under pressure to become more agile, flexible and fast. An old note I took down from Mckinsey&Co some years back propels: “New management approaches are required that are centered on speed to increase system performance…..shorter development cycle…….competitive edge comes from crafting the entire company into a single coordinated machine, rather than seeking isolated advances in individual functions” (unfortunately I didn't reference the quote then) . Focusing on speed Mckinsey and the whole row of management consultants advocate the use of multi-functional teams and projects.
Having worked in the arts and later the media industry for decades, it is pretty obvious thatboth design and implementation would be a trademark of the multi-functional teams running projects in the networks I'm part of.
Thus a huge opportunity could be in what could be termed “meta-innnovation”. The media project networks has great creative capabilities – the innovation happening inside single projects is considerable. These agile processes in the projects might be turned into a generalized innovation logic. Innovation process in a typical media project may as process provide a model for product development in other areas. Creating unique products using “agile manufacturing techniques” is the focus of innovation in broad sectors – media have worked with this type of process for decades.
Turning to New Media this is already happening. In 3rd generation web projects (as practiced by some of the pioneering innovative web companies such as Razorfish and Icon Medialab (before they grew biiiig and somewhat stale)) a “web” of actors including partnerships with customers to create new types of value propositions rather than just “web sites”, based on the project organization of the media.
The trick seems to be to somehow formalize these webs. The role of institutions in project organizing is to provide basic societal infrastructure for the projects but also – and more important to mobilize latent networks, so that the muddled interconnectiveness can be replaced with active linkages.
An organization as Zentropa WorkZ may see it’s job as establishing a system in which episodic project collaborations may be formalized into more enduring project networks.
But how - if not through an advanced ownership structure....?
Having worked in the arts and later the media industry for decades, it is pretty obvious thatboth design and implementation would be a trademark of the multi-functional teams running projects in the networks I'm part of.
Thus a huge opportunity could be in what could be termed “meta-innnovation”. The media project networks has great creative capabilities – the innovation happening inside single projects is considerable. These agile processes in the projects might be turned into a generalized innovation logic. Innovation process in a typical media project may as process provide a model for product development in other areas. Creating unique products using “agile manufacturing techniques” is the focus of innovation in broad sectors – media have worked with this type of process for decades.
Turning to New Media this is already happening. In 3rd generation web projects (as practiced by some of the pioneering innovative web companies such as Razorfish and Icon Medialab (before they grew biiiig and somewhat stale)) a “web” of actors including partnerships with customers to create new types of value propositions rather than just “web sites”, based on the project organization of the media.
The trick seems to be to somehow formalize these webs. The role of institutions in project organizing is to provide basic societal infrastructure for the projects but also – and more important to mobilize latent networks, so that the muddled interconnectiveness can be replaced with active linkages.
An organization as Zentropa WorkZ may see it’s job as establishing a system in which episodic project collaborations may be formalized into more enduring project networks.
But how - if not through an advanced ownership structure....?
Sex or innovation
The innovation hype is getting a bit nauseating. A simple googling on [innovation] gets more results than [sex] - both of cause more talk than action, but still: More than sex!!!!
tirsdag, maj 09, 2006
SBC
SBC is offering premium fully serviced flexible offices in the Eastern Europe countries, for midsize or smaller, mainly foreign companies.SBC helps it's clients to set up their business and office, fast, easy and cost effective. The main target group is the growing segment of SMEs going international; international companies establishing themselves in new cities. The main markets are immature Eastern European cities with high growth rates.
SBC believes a main driver for choosing office hotels are psychological: The need for comfort, safety, social interaction, and image. Especially for foreign companies this is important.
The other main driver for the office hotel market is the ‘plug-and-play’ feature: The ease of setting up offices with facilities that actually work in a new town. This especially is true in immature markets, where infra-structure is still somewhat unreliable.
SBC is owned by the entrepreneur B. Schultz, and three business angels including Blå Himmel.
mandag, maj 08, 2006
Nokuko
Nordisk Kunstkonservering tilbyder alle de serviceydelser som en samling kræver, på højeste faglige niveau: Fra aktiv konservering/restaurering af kunstværker til rådgivning omkring bevaring, køb, vedligeholdelse, ophængning, installation, transport og opbevaring.
I Nordisk Kunstkonservering arbejder højtuddannede kunstkonservatorer for virksomheder, museer, offentlige institutioner, forsikringsselskaber, auktionshuse og private. Nordisk Kunstkonservering har specialister indenfor maleri, skulptur, vægmaleri, grafik og bygningsornamentik. Firmaet har opbygget en særlig ekspertise indenfor moderne kunst og nutidskunst, der med sine hyppigt ukonventionelle materialer og metoder, stiller særligt store krav til konservering.
Nordisk Kunstkonservering samarbejder med nogle af de mest fremtrædende museer, laboratorier og værksteder i Danmark og i udlandet.
I Nordisk Kunstkonservering arbejder højtuddannede kunstkonservatorer for virksomheder, museer, offentlige institutioner, forsikringsselskaber, auktionshuse og private. Nordisk Kunstkonservering har specialister indenfor maleri, skulptur, vægmaleri, grafik og bygningsornamentik. Firmaet har opbygget en særlig ekspertise indenfor moderne kunst og nutidskunst, der med sine hyppigt ukonventionelle materialer og metoder, stiller særligt store krav til konservering.
Nordisk Kunstkonservering samarbejder med nogle af de mest fremtrædende museer, laboratorier og værksteder i Danmark og i udlandet.
BizArt
BizArt var en succesfuld kunst-gruppe, der i perioden 1989-1996 skabte en lang række internationale monumentale og succesfulde kunstprojekter i offentlige rum med kritisk fokus på massekommunikation. Idag er BizArt et forum for nogle af de oprindelige medlemmer: Ole Mølgaard, Jesper Søholm og Lars Lundbye.BizArt har stået bag en række projekter der udfordrede grænserne mellem kunst og offentlighed, herunder
» Paradise Europe’s omfattende reklamekampagner på billboards og i de elektroniske medier, udstillinger på museer og internationale gallerier i New York, Köln, Madrid, Rom og København.
» Portraits of Exile: store reklamelyskasser nedsænket under vandoverfladen i Holmens Kanal i København (1995).
» Gadetegn med 100 danske kunstnere på billboards i København (1992).
» Diffus portal: En monumental omhegning af København med røg (1996).
» 1996 Tidskapsler – et fuldt interaktivt offentligt kunstværk, hvor to tusind tidskapsler blev lavet af lige så mange subkulturelle grupper (firmaer, fore¬ning¬er, landsbyer, klubber, etc. – i alt 16.000 aktive deltagere) i det storkøben¬havn¬ske område.
» Trafiklyrik: et lyrik- og kunst¬-tidskrift, der i 1990-92 udkom en gang om måneden på 5000 busreklamer landet over.
» BizArts WestPoint – et kunstnerrefugium på den caribiske ø Roatan (1994-97).
Tv-Skolen
TV-Skolen er helt uafhængig, men samarbejder med både independent og mainstream produktionsselskaber og broadcastere bl.a. Global Nomads Group, Danmarks Radio, Maysles Films, MTV, Angel Film og Zentropa.
TV-Skolen bygger på et netværk af medieprofessionelle originaler, der i skiftende konstellationer driver skolens uddannelses- og udviklingsprojekter. De drivende kræfter har en fælles interesse i kunst, teknologi og revolution – og den personlige historie som et bidrag til at sætte en social forskel.
Gennem årene har en række faste fantastiske legekammerater drevet større eller mindre forløb, bla instruktør Ole Stenum, dramachef Ingolf Gabold, instruktør Stefan Treschow, fotograf Kim Hattesen, scenograf Svend Hangaard, producer Karoline Leth og chefredaktør Clara Kunstmann.For tiden er nogle af de gennemgående kræfter konceptudvikler Lars Lundbye (der også er bestyrelsesformand), instruktør og tv-chef Jørgen Svenstrup, interaktiv filmskaber Flemming Lyngse, filminstruktør Torben Simonsen og dokumentarinstruktør Asger Leth.
TV-Skolen er et anpartsselskab ejet af udviklingsselskabet Blå Himmel og produktionsselskabet Svenstrup hld.
TV-Skolen bygger på et netværk af medieprofessionelle originaler, der i skiftende konstellationer driver skolens uddannelses- og udviklingsprojekter. De drivende kræfter har en fælles interesse i kunst, teknologi og revolution – og den personlige historie som et bidrag til at sætte en social forskel.
Gennem årene har en række faste fantastiske legekammerater drevet større eller mindre forløb, bla instruktør Ole Stenum, dramachef Ingolf Gabold, instruktør Stefan Treschow, fotograf Kim Hattesen, scenograf Svend Hangaard, producer Karoline Leth og chefredaktør Clara Kunstmann.For tiden er nogle af de gennemgående kræfter konceptudvikler Lars Lundbye (der også er bestyrelsesformand), instruktør og tv-chef Jørgen Svenstrup, interaktiv filmskaber Flemming Lyngse, filminstruktør Torben Simonsen og dokumentarinstruktør Asger Leth.
TV-Skolen er et anpartsselskab ejet af udviklingsselskabet Blå Himmel og produktionsselskabet Svenstrup hld.
søndag, maj 07, 2006
WorkZ
WorkZ, founded and run by Lars Lundbye in partnership with Michael Thomsen and Ask Agger, is a member of the Zentropa family, the biggest film production group in Scandinavia, and WorkZ is based on creative methodologies from film, art, role-playing and music to initiate and optimize product- and business development.
Workz is a creative change agency that helps organizations start and implement change through storytelling and involvement. To us the key word is involvement, which creates ownership and commitment. Involvement is the driving force that brings on succesful change.
In WorkZ we are believers in the social aspects of the experience economy – and also strong believers in the necessity of crossing borders to be truly innovative. Our crossdisciplinary team can co-create your change at all levels - from analysis and identification of needs over choice of strategy to implementation, anchoring and communication. Using games, process tools, film, digital media, and creative processes, we create a focused and engaging involvement of all necessary stakeholders. By doing so, we find the best ideas and the create the optimal foundation for change and anchoring of that change.
Workz is a creative change agency that helps organizations start and implement change through storytelling and involvement. To us the key word is involvement, which creates ownership and commitment. Involvement is the driving force that brings on succesful change.
In WorkZ we are believers in the social aspects of the experience economy – and also strong believers in the necessity of crossing borders to be truly innovative. Our crossdisciplinary team can co-create your change at all levels - from analysis and identification of needs over choice of strategy to implementation, anchoring and communication. Using games, process tools, film, digital media, and creative processes, we create a focused and engaging involvement of all necessary stakeholders. By doing so, we find the best ideas and the create the optimal foundation for change and anchoring of that change.
lørdag, maj 06, 2006
Contact
To contact Blå Himmel please email Lars Lundbye at
lars.lundbye [at] gmail [dot] com
Any comments, ideas and suggestions are welcome!
Phone: +45 40 42 41 12
Adresse: Krudtløbsvej 25 z, DK-1439 København K, Denmark
lars.lundbye [at] gmail [dot] com
Any comments, ideas and suggestions are welcome!
Phone: +45 40 42 41 12
Adresse: Krudtløbsvej 25 z, DK-1439 København K, Denmark
fredag, maj 05, 2006
People
Blå Himmel is owned 100% by serial entrepreneur Lars Lundbye.
Lundbye lives to create revolutionary and beautiful projects that empower people to be creative and innovative. Lundbye is a developer and social entrepreneur in the fields of sustainability, art, new media technology, and teaching.
With an executive MBA and a Masters in Literature, he excels in crossing borders between research, business and the arts; using synergy that he brings to projects that his clients want to energize.
Lars has created a number of companies and initiated projects. Following his instincts aiming usually for the stars - sometimes very succesfully and sometimes falling flat on his stomach.
The short story goes as this:
As a teen, he played jazz. Then, while in New York in his early 20’s, he apprendiced for the master chef, Filip Rojas Lombardi at The Ballroom. Realizing that you can die young in the cooking business and that the arts had more appeal to him, he went for a Masters in Literature. Being greatly influenced by the innovations he saw on the streets of NYC, he co-started the art & business group, appropriately titled, BizArt. Over the next 7 years, Bizart developed a number of spectacular public art projects – in Denmark (often in conjunction with the government and later with Corporations jumping on board) and around the world; such as, running an artists refuge in the Caribean. In the late 90s, with the new media revolution, Lars initiated an experimental "School of Television" working with digital media and the internet and more intense techniques of training involving student and professional workspaces. During this time, the new media consultancy company, Preview Media, was born… later dissolved… and sold in bits.
In 2002-04, Lars went back to school in a serious executive program at SIMI obtaining an MBA. While there, he collaborated with the 4value network and did some exiting projects; creating science based companies, strategy plans for Swedens Interactive Institute, and visions for innovation in the Copenhagen Region, Full Circle. All along a huge number of projects have been realized, and in 04, he formalized his many activities in the holding company Blå Himmel, and in 05 designed and started his dream company together with some amazing people at Zentropa: WorkZ, which he succesfully exited in 08. Recently he has worked intensively with the architectural firm 3XN on innovating sustainable architecture, and the waste company Vestforbrænding building a new innovation platform for ressource management.
Lundbye lives to create revolutionary and beautiful projects that empower people to be creative and innovative. Lundbye is a developer and social entrepreneur in the fields of sustainability, art, new media technology, and teaching.
With an executive MBA and a Masters in Literature, he excels in crossing borders between research, business and the arts; using synergy that he brings to projects that his clients want to energize.
Lars has created a number of companies and initiated projects. Following his instincts aiming usually for the stars - sometimes very succesfully and sometimes falling flat on his stomach.
The short story goes as this:
As a teen, he played jazz. Then, while in New York in his early 20’s, he apprendiced for the master chef, Filip Rojas Lombardi at The Ballroom. Realizing that you can die young in the cooking business and that the arts had more appeal to him, he went for a Masters in Literature. Being greatly influenced by the innovations he saw on the streets of NYC, he co-started the art & business group, appropriately titled, BizArt. Over the next 7 years, Bizart developed a number of spectacular public art projects – in Denmark (often in conjunction with the government and later with Corporations jumping on board) and around the world; such as, running an artists refuge in the Caribean. In the late 90s, with the new media revolution, Lars initiated an experimental "School of Television" working with digital media and the internet and more intense techniques of training involving student and professional workspaces. During this time, the new media consultancy company, Preview Media, was born… later dissolved… and sold in bits.
In 2002-04, Lars went back to school in a serious executive program at SIMI obtaining an MBA. While there, he collaborated with the 4value network and did some exiting projects; creating science based companies, strategy plans for Swedens Interactive Institute, and visions for innovation in the Copenhagen Region, Full Circle. All along a huge number of projects have been realized, and in 04, he formalized his many activities in the holding company Blå Himmel, and in 05 designed and started his dream company together with some amazing people at Zentropa: WorkZ, which he succesfully exited in 08. Recently he has worked intensively with the architectural firm 3XN on innovating sustainable architecture, and the waste company Vestforbrænding building a new innovation platform for ressource management.
torsdag, maj 04, 2006
Portfolio
Blå Himmel invests capital, time, support, and a lot of enthusiasm in projects and companies, that represents the kind of revolution and potential, that we believe in. Some companies has more focus on strict financial targets and success parameters, some are more valued from the social impact and beauty, they create.
Blå Himmel's present portfolio include:
eCouture by Lund's designs with the talentet costume designer Johanne Helger Lund at the helm, are truly and daringly feminine – and to top if off all created in nontoxic eco-cotton, silk etc. with very high regards for the production proces. Read More...
BridgeSpinner has invented a revolutionary gaming console for the game of bridge - the worlds maybe most popular card game. Read More...
Zentropa WorkZ is an innovation company, moving products and business ideas to the proof-of-concept stage – both our own concepts, and concepts for other companies and organizations, who we help innovating. Read More...
TV-Skolen er et eksperimenterende udviklingsmiljø for levende billeder og de nye medier i Filmbyen i Avedøre - midt i tv- og filmbranchen. Read More...
Scandinavian Business Center (SBC) is a new ambitious chain of office hotels, aiming at Eastern European metropolitan areas. Blå Himmel has invested in SBC, and works on a new visionary strategy creating a social and networked environment to enhance performance of the clients. Read More...
I Nordisk Kunstkonservering arbejder nogle af Danmarks dygtigste konservatorer med restaurering af mange typer kunst – malerier, skulpturer, grafik og objekter. Read More...
BizArt var en succesfuld kunst-gruppe, der i perioden 1989-1996 skabte en lang række internationale monumentale og succesfulde kunst-projekter i offentlige rum med kritisk fokus på massekommunikation. Idag er BizArt et forum for nogle af de oprindelige medlemmer: Ole Mølgaard, Jesper Søholm og Lars Lundbye. Read More...
Project 03 Le latin est une langue italique de la famille des langues indo-européennes, aujourd'hui considérée comme éteinte, même si elle continue d'être utilisée et développée comme langue écrite. Read More...
onsdag, maj 03, 2006
Mission
Blå Himmel aims at building a long term economically viable platform for the stakeholders to do great stuff everyday – stuff that really puts a dent in the social fabric of the world for the better.
tirsdag, maj 02, 2006
mandag, maj 01, 2006
About
Blå Himmel means Blue Sky in Danish. Blå Himmel is a business development company investing in small innovative start ups. Blå Himmel is a holding company for the serial entrepreneur Lars Lundbye and the playground for my busines angel activities – looking for the odd angle and the big dream.
Blå Himmel designs valuable ideas for tomorrow based on three key competencies:
Blå Himmel builds on business ideas aiming to make the world a more beautiful place; ideas that revolutionizes stale formats and set ways; projects that empower people and break down monopolies; technologies and products, that enables many to many communication, that allows the individual to take control over the creative processes in her or his life.
Blå Himmel designs valuable ideas for tomorrow based on three key competencies:
- Spotting global and industry trends that will change the present.
- Ideation based on holistic integration of future user needs, technology, design and commercial opportunities.
- Conceptualizing and prototyping ideas with a keen eye on creating the innovative business systems needed for implementation.
Blå Himmel builds on business ideas aiming to make the world a more beautiful place; ideas that revolutionizes stale formats and set ways; projects that empower people and break down monopolies; technologies and products, that enables many to many communication, that allows the individual to take control over the creative processes in her or his life.
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