The Continuous Innovation Network (CINet) is a global network set up to bring together researchers and industrialists working in the field of Continuous Innovation. The mission of CINet is to develop into a school of thought on Continuous Innovation. Consistent with this mission, CINet organizes an annual conference. This announcement concerns the 18th CINet conference, which will take place at the University of Potsdam, 10-12 September 2017. The theme of the conference is “Digitalization and innovation: designing the organization of the future”.

Since the turn of the century, economic and industrial development seems to have exploded. The world has become the global village predicted by Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s. China has opened its economy and has become a formidable player in the world economy. The BRICS countries, previous targets for foreign investment, have become global investors themselves. In effect, continuous innovation has become more important than ever, certainly for industries in the ‘old’ industrialized countries. At the same time, enormous progress has been made with respect to technology advancement. Not only products, processes and factories get digitalized but also services and business models.

Launched by the EU, the Factory of the Future program envisages continuous adaptation of work environments with changing levels of automation in evolving production systems. Industry 4.0, initiated by the German government, involves integrating cyber-physical systems into manufacturing and logistics, and deploying the Internet of Things and Services in industrial processes. In Smart Factory environments, individual production steps and entire production chains are closely connected, within the firm and across corporate boundaries, from suppliers to logistics to the overall life cycle management of a product. Individual production steps are seamlessly connected, from product development, production planning, engineering and scheduling, actual fabrication and assembly processes, production and quality control through to logistics. With the replacement of pure product by product-service innovations, a comprehensive, both system-oriented and user-centric way of thinking is needed. This need is also reflected in the emergence of Design Thinking as a tool to develop new products, services and business models, and a mindset for organizations to shape their culture, organizational structure, and processes for the challenges of digitalization.

However, many organizations are not well equipped to integrate the rising influence of digital technologies, compensate for the scarcity and depletion of resources, and find adequate answers to the apparent success of entrepreneurial ventures. Where employees fear that their job will be automatized in the future, organizations are challenged to develop an embracing organizational culture as well as disruptive and user-centric innovation as an outcome.