Yesterday evening we attended an event hosted by UCB, and watched a keynote presentation from Peter Hinssen on his new book, ‘The New Normal’. This book was officially launched and Peter shared his vision of a digital world with the audience. The concept behind the New Normal is brilliantly described in the little video below:

In essence, he says that we are half way towards a transition to a ‘digital society’ in which the internet and technology will become ‘invisible’. He explores the implications this has for the IT world and the role of those who ‘build the stuff’ that makes technology work. His thinking is very much in line with the key assumptions we make at ZN about the future role of the web as a hub of everything from communication to business.

His delivery was superb. He gave a compelling and engaging presentation on a subject that can easily be hyped or made too technical by overenthusiastic nerds. In fact, I was delighted to learn that the word ‘nerd’ was in fact coined by Dr Seuss in one of his early books – something that makes me more comfortable with my own inner nerdiness.

The discussion that followed gave a glimpse of the interest UCB and the pharma sector have in exploring new business models and new ways of thinking about technology. A patient shared her own experience and her desperate need for better understanding of her disease (epilepsy), as well as the role the internet played in getting her to find the correct diagnosis and support from other patients.

I will now check the book and share some feedback with you, but if it is anything like the presentation it will definitely be worth the read.