On the afternoon of 1 November, 2023, the SEG experiential class, " Does Innovation Have Always to Be Disruptive?", organized by the Department of Cultural Creativity and Design, School of Culture and Creativity, was held in CC-326.

How to innovate is a key challenge for all enterprises in a competitive market where innovation is considered the "code of life and death for business". In this lesson, Paola Qssolao, Professor at SEG César Ritz Colleges, was invited as a guest speaker to guide the teachers and students to understand what innovation is, how to make nondisruptive innovations, and to discuss how these innovations are carried out in the hospitality and how they are translated into results.

WHAT IS INNOVATION?

Professor Paola referred to innovation as translating the original thought into commercial or practical purposes. Afterwards, Prof Paola introduced three forms of innovation, namely product innovation, service innovation and process innovation.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: INNOVATION DOESN’T HAVE TO BE DISRUPTIVE

Using apps such as Airbnb, Uber, Booking and Trip as examples, Prof Paola presented the disruptive innovations that the sharing economy and online bookings are bringing to the hospitality and tourism. Disruptive innovation represents a completely new paradigm, which implies the business practice of an entire industrial sector could be changed radically. In the short term, it creates adjustment costs that can trigger a backlash from social interest groups, government agencies, and non-profit associations. Non-disruptive creation, on the other hand, occurs without causing harm to existing companies or jobs, with the goal of bringing benefits to everyone involved.

In her energetic and passionate language, Prof. Paola actively encouraged everyone to share their understanding of innovation and sustainability and to build on this with her professional interpretations, which gave rise to the heated. In the end, the lecture was brought to a successful conclusion in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Dr. Paola Ossola is a professor at César Ritz Colleges, with extensive experience in education, research and entrepreneurship. She is both the CEO and co-founder of La Happy Care Srl company and co-founder of the non-profit association Alzheimer's Fest APS.

Photographers: Hairui Wang

Editor: Weilu Wang