The Festival connects policy-makers, practitioners and researchers working towards better places to work, and places that work better.
7-8 September
9 September
9-11 September
Leuven (Belgium) www.festivalofconnecting.be
We are pleased to invite you for a vibrant week of connecting workplace innovation communities in Leuven, Belgium, September 7-11. The Festival of Connecting gathers members of IWOT, EUWIN and the Global STSD Network for a unique get-together. Meet leaders in research and business, policy makers, and practitioners. Develop knowledge. Transform skills. Create a new network. Be a part of it. There will be plenary sessions, Pecha Kuchas, panel sessions, an Innovation Gallery, small and large scale discussions and workshops, and site visits to some remarkable companies in Leuven. The speakers and conference attendees institute a more than impressive line-up for the Festival of Connecting!
Get connected!
A brief introduction… RESEARCH ON TEAMWORK (7-8 September) – IWOT presents an active podium for senior and junior researchers of teamworking. Fresh research results are discussed in a debate characterized by constructive feedback and an amicable atmosphere. WORKPLACE INNOVATION (9 September) – EUWIN and Flanders Synergy bring together policy makers, practitioners and researchers of workplace innovation. A number of high-level politicians and business people present Flemish, European and North-American best practices. STS DESIGN (9-10-11 September) – The Global STSD Network assembles practitioners, labor leaders and researchers who study and use socio-technical systems design to create workplace innovation. Two days of participative, energetic discussions combining STS design principles and practice!
Monday 7/9 Keynote professor Michael West
IWOT Tuesday 8/9 Keynote Dr. Jan Achterbergh
EUWIN Wednesday 9/9 Welcome by Mieke Van Gramberen, rector Rik Torfs, Mayor of Leuven Louis Tobback Opening by Eurocommissioner Bieńkowska, KU Leuven
Concurrent sessions on teamwork in healthcare
Concurrent sessions on teamwork in socio-technical systems design
Keynote Jody Hoffer Gittell, Geert Van Hootegem & Steven Dhondt Hot topics in workplace innovation: workshops, debates, site visits Closing by Mrs. Thyssen Launch of GLOWIN
Wednesday 9/9
(evening)
Welcome, opening and connecting Keynote professor Audrey Chia
Global STSD Network Thursday 10/9 Friday 11/9 Opening Art & Work Keynote Frederic Cases ZZG and Laloux Bombardier Concurrent Transportation sessions on Concurrent sessions on designing for innovation, IT, and autonomy, healthcare architecture stakeholder engagement, the Concurrent sessions on demand/control globalization, elderly care, model, interinter-team relationships, organizational design of physical space design Topics of passion Fans of Flanders Lessons learned Pecha Kucha
What if design goes wrong? Wrap-up, reflections and bridge to 2016
PRACTICAL INFORMATION Venue IWOT and the Global STSD Network take place at the Irish College, a peaceful 17th century building in the center of Leuven. EUWIN takes place at the Brabanthal, a specialized conference center 20 minutes outside of Leuven. A bus service from the Irish College to the Brabanthal and back will be provided.
Accommodation Special arrangements have been made with the Irish College and a wide arrangement of hotels in the Leuven city center. Upon registration, you will receive a link to our partner hotels.
Social activities A wide range of social activities is prepared for participants of the Festival: a city tour, a gastronomic walk, blind beer tasting, a gala dinner, ‌
Fees IWOT (7-8 September) EUWIN (9 September) Global STSD Network (9-11 September)
€ 335 Free of charge € 600 (non-member) € 400 (members*)
Package deal IWOT + Global STSD Network (7-11 September)
€ 800 (non-member) € 600 (members*)
Student discount Student
Reduction of € 110 for a single event Reduction of € 220 for package deal
Please note: the fees include food and drinks provided during the conference, site visits and social activities (including the gala dinner on Friday for the participants of the Global STSD Network). *Members of USI, STS Roundtable, and Flanders Synergy
RESEARCH ON TEAMWORK - IWOT
7-8 September
IWOT has established itself as an active podium for senior and junior researchers of teamworking. IWOT deals with all aspects of teamworking in organizations, and includes research from a variety of perspectives, disciplinary backgrounds and geographical areas. Foci for IWOT 19 are:  
Teams in healthcare Teams and organization design
Papers are presented in parallel sessions organized around similar subthemes. The workshop is characterized by constructive feedback and an amicable atmosphere. IWOT offers the opportunity to publish selected papers in Team Performance Management. For more information: www.festivalofconnecting.be/iwot
Monday 7 September
Tuesday 8 September
Opening by professor Bart Kerremans, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (KU Leuven)
Opening day 2
Concurrent sessions D
Keynote professor Michael West
Keynote Dr. Jan Achterbergh
Concurrent sessions A Lunch Concurrent sessions B
Concurrent sessions E
Concurrent sessions C Social event: walking dinner Venue: Irish College, Leuven
Site visit: Academic Hospital Leuven UZ Leuven
RESEARCH ON TEAMWORK - IWOT
7-8 September
Keynote professor Michael West Michael West has spent the greater part of his career undertaking research into the factors that determine the effectiveness and innovativeness of individuals, teams and organizations at work. He has also focused on improving the wellbeing of those who work within organizations. This keynote draws on thirty years of research into teamworking as a way of delivering continually improving, high quality and compassionate health care. Professor West works at Lancaster University. Keynote Dr. Jan Achterbergh Dysfunctional effects produced by organizations are well known. Nobody wants them, and at the same time they are omnipresent. How do they come into being? Well, you just design them... Jan Achterbergh is Assistant Professor of Organizational Development at the Nijmegen School of Management at the Radboud University Nijmegen since 1999.
Site visit: Academic Hospital Leuven UZ Leuven is an academic hospital, associated with the KU Leuven. It consists of five campuses: Gasthuisberg, Lubbeek, Pellenberg, Sint-Pieter and Sint-Rafaël. This site visit will take place in Gasthuisberg. Literally translated 'Guesthouse Hill' – gasthuis the Flemish word for hospital –, it is the most well-known of all campuses. Its name, Gasthuisberg, has become synonymous with UZ Leuven. Gasthuisberg houses many facilities of the university, among which research laboratories, auditoria of the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a manual procedures training center, a library and a student restaurant. We will take a look at how the future of healthcare is envisioned on top of Guesthouse Hill.
WORKPLACE INNOVATION - EUWIN
9 September
EUWIN is a Europe-wide learning network launched to improve the performance of organizations and the quality of jobs in a sustainable way. The European Learning Network on Workplace Innovation (EUWIN) is focused on animating, resourcing and sustaining workplace innovation within companies to create more scale and impact across the EU. EUWIN is an initiative of the EU’s Directorate General for Enterprise & Industry. On the 9th of September, 400 business practitioners will gather to share their experience and get equipped with practical tools to support the uptake of nontechnological innovations. The event is cohosted by Flanders Synergy.
Wednesday 9 September Venue: Brabanthal, Leuven Welcoming by Mieke Van Gramberen, Flanders Synergy, Rik Torfs, rector KU Leuven, and Louis Tobback, Mayor of Leuven Opening by Elşbieta Bieńkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (tbc)
Keynote Jody Hoffer Gittell, Geert Van Hootegem & Steven Dhondt Concurrent sessions on competitiveness, education, IT systems, time & place independent work Concurrent sessions on social Site visits to dialogue, leadership, people Imec, and technology, teamwork, and Materialise, healthcare ABInbev How to keep strategic partners on your side? Closing by Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility (tbc)
Launch of GLOWIN
Sociotechnical systems design: an introduction
WORKPLACE INNOVATION - EUWIN
9 September
Opening by Mrs. Elżbieta Bieńkowska Elżbieta Bieńkowska is the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. One of her objectives is to bring industry's weight in the EU's GDP back up to 20% by 2020, from less than 16% today… How does workplace innovation come into play? Jody Hoffer Gittell, Geert Van Hootegem & Steven Dhondt Organizational design and relational coordination: two ingredients to make connectivity at the workplace and workplace innovation work. Frontrunners Jody Hoffer Gittell, Steven Dhondt and Geert Van Hootegem combine theory and practice. Concurrent sessions 1. How to stay competitive in turbulent times? Learn from the best as Bosch Thermotechnik (Portugal), Bombardier (Belgium), inet-logistics (Austria), Innocent (UK), and Normet (Finland) share best practices. Companies tbc.
2. Workplace innovation and education Education in Flanders is a sector in which workplace innovation was an absolute policy spearhead. We’ve invited schools to testify about their ‘new ways of working’. 3. Workplace innovation and IT systems ERP-systems can become a key hurdle for the spread of workplace innovation as they try to control every element of the work flow. What to do about it? 4. Work beyond boundaries of time and space Everybody knows about teleworking/remote working, flexible working arrangements and new technologies. What other forms of location and time independent work exist? 5. Workplace innovation and social dialogue Flemish trade union representatives developed a vision and strategy for workplace innovation. The bringing about of such a vision is discussed with the audience and a number of European trade union officials.
WORKPLACE INNOVATION - EUWIN
9 September
6. Leadership and workplace innovation During this workshop we will look into the type of leadership that supports an adaptive organization. Also, we will demonstrate how the development of this type of leadership is a journey with full of uncertainties. 7. People and technology: sociotechnical systems in industry Three manufacturing organizations show what they have accomplished. Not by working harder and longer, but by working smarter and in a more collaborative way. 8. Workplace innovation and team development Implementing teamwork is about enhancing the maturity of teams. This workshop is about the drivers and impediments that typically occur in this transition. 9. Workplace innovation in healthcare Healthcare organizations struggle to become more demanddriven, client-centered and cost-conscious. The potential impact of workplace innovation is shown through testimonials and ‘serious gaming’.
Socio-technical systems design: an introduction to the theory, principles and practice for workplace innovation The Festival of Connecting aims to bond communities. Co-host Global STSD Network offers an introduction in socio-technical systems design! This 6 hour parallel track intensive workshop is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. Site visits Imec Imec is a multinational micro- and nano-electronics R&D center headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. It has an unique model for attracting international top talent employees. ABInbev ABInbev’s origins date back to 14th century Leuven, but now it is a world leader. ABInbev cherishes the dream of becoming the best beer company that brings people together for a better world. Materialise Materialise is a global leader in 3D Printing. Their aim is a better and healthier world.
WORKPLACE INNOVATION - EUWIN
9 September
How to keep strategic partners by your side? The identification of strategic partners is a first step in the development of strategic alliances. John Heap, president of the European Association for National Productivity Centers, shows good practices together with IndustriALL, ANACT, BusinessEurope, an Industry representative, and a Belgian Government representative Closing remarks by Mrs. Marianne Thyssen Marianne Thyssen is the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility. She seeks to create good jobs, and modernize labour markets by working in full partnership with EU countries and social partners.
Launch of GLOWIN Looking at the past shows the possibilities. Looking at the present strengthens the wish to put it into practice. Looking at the future makes clear that it is a necessity. We need better places to work, and places that work better. The Global Organizational and Workplace Innovation Network is a call for and to action. Advocates of sustainable work are asked to join hands. The launch and realization of GLOWIN is an explicit goal of the Festival of Connecting. The Festival is designed to connect communities. We combine research, policy and practice. We welcome people from all over the world. We invite everybody who is interested in our common cause. On Wednesday the GLOWIN Manifesto is presented. It can be signed by everybody who wants to show the world the possible futures of organizational and workplace innovation.
STS Design - Global STSD Network
9-11 September
The Global Socio-Technical Systems Design Network is a new global community of STSD practitioners and researchers! The network connects STSD branches from all over the world. We are expecting visitors from North-America, Australia, Scandinavia, the Lowlands and Asia. The variety of interests and perspectives makes for an interesting list of presenters, workshop leaders, Pecha Kucha presenters, innovation gallery hosts, and participants. STSD can only prosper given the worldwide attention we are starting to see again today. The Leuven meeting is another stepping stone, a warm embrace, with arms opening up for experienced practitioners, students, labor leaders, academics, and policy makers who are committed to evidence based, participative processes for creating organizations that work great and are great to work in.
STS Design - Global STSD Network
9 September
Wednesday 9 September (6-8pm) Venue: Irish College Start Global STSD Network meeting: registrations, opening & connecting Keynote professor Audrey Chia The Global STSD Network meeting opens on Wednesday evening with a keynote by professor Audrey Chia, followed by dinner and blind beer tasting. A pre-conference introduction to STSD takes place during EUWIN earlier that day to connect communities. Keynote professor Audrey Chia Professor Audrey Chia (NUS Business School, Singapore) investigates how social and health problems can be addressed by social entrepreneurship and innovative philanthropy. She is also interested in businesses’ participation in multi-sector collaborations that address social issues, including health challenges in Singapore’s workplaces.
STS Design - Global STSD Network
10 September
Thursday 10 September Venue: Irish College Opening Keynote Frederic Laloux: Reinventing Organizations Concurrent sessions A: - Designing for autonomy, accountability and appreciation - Accelerating change throgh stakeholder engagement - From the demand/control model to a feasible economy of innovation and health - Designing for early childhood development using an STS inter-organization design prototype Lunch Fans of Flanders Lessons learned Pecha Kuchas Gastronomic walk
Keynote Frederic Laloux: Reinventing Organizations Frederic Laloux shows that every time humanity has shifted to a new stage of consciousness in the past, it has invented a whole new way to structure and run organizations. Laloux’ research shows organisations that “cracked the code”. A new organizational model seems to be emerging, and it promises a soulful revolution in the workplace! Concurrent sessions 1. Designing for autonomy, accountability and appreciation Bernard Mohr & Neil Samuels show the building blocks and principles for The New Governance. A conceptual and practical take on co-creating governance systems for STS collaboration platforms. 2. Accelarating change through stakeholder engagement Experience Change Accelerator cultureQs. Eric Lynn shows the importance of aligning ideas and beliefs for meaningful collaboration.
STS Design - Global STSD Network
10 September
3. From the demand/control model to a feasible economy of innovation and health Robert Karasek dramatically broadens the job demand/control model to describe and review a New Economy of Innovation and Health. 4. Designing for early childhood development using an STS inter-organization design prototype Carlye Watson demonstrates an inter-organization design prototype in a case on early childhood development in Montreal’s Downtown West. STS design put to practice! Fans of Flanders We’re going to make you Fans of Flanders. Flanders Synergy serves as an innovation platform for socio-technical design since 2009. A selection of top cases is invited to the Festival of Connecting to present and discuss inspiring socio-technical stories, combining theory and practice, successes and pitfalls.
Pecha Kucha Like the classic elevator pitch, Pecha Kucha’s 20 seconds x 20 images, is a bit longer but the idea is the same: short, concise, fast paced presentations. 1. Tony Rasenberg - Multidisciplinary teams for clients with severe mental illness: F-ACT 2. Ezra Dessers - Socio-technical systems design in the second machine age 3. Gerhard Smid - Team design in education 4. Thomas Mühlbradt - Work based learning in Industry: a Concept revisited” 5. Heike Nolte - Company size and culture: the impact on problem solving related communication 6. Friso van der Meulen - Information systems and STS 7. Leen De Kort - Workplace innovation in a living lab context 8. Sander Smouts - Short-cycled labor in Belgium 9. Peter Sorenson – Deliberately designing innovation
STS Design - Global STSD Network
11 September
Friday 11 September Venue: Irish College Opening Art & Work ZZG Care Centre & Bombardier Transportation Belgium Concurrent sessions B: - Organizing innovation and (strategic) decision making - IT and STSD - The Liquid0 model - Redesigning the practice of health care architecture Innovation Gallery – Lunch Concurrent sessions C: - Case study: transition of CSLBehring - Caring for the elderly at home - The STS perspective must rise! - Design parameters for physical space within STSD Open space for topics of passion What if design doesn’t work? Wrap-up, reflections on the week & bridge to 2016 Gala dinner
Opening Art & Work About the connection between the crafts(wo)man in the artist, and the artist in the crafts(wo)man. ZZG Care Centre & Bombardier Transportation Belgium ZZG is a Dutch health care company based on empowerment of the client and self-management in teams. Teamwork and the application of Lean principles made Bombardier fit for globalized competition. Concurrent sessions 1. Organizing innovation and (strategic) decision making Hans Lekkerkerk developed and tested a cybernetic model and research tool called ‘Model Innovation and Organizational Structure’. 2. IT and STSD Enterprise apps might be the ideal fit with STS’s smallest organizational building block, the team, for humane and productive information provisioning, Mark Govers and Pim Sudmeier explain.
STS Design - Global STSD Network
11 September
3. The Liquid0 model Stellio Verzera presents the Liquid0 model for governance to avoid the various kinds of waste and bottlenecks linked to “traditional” organizational models. 4. The new architecture pt. 1: Redesigning the practice of healthcare architecture: a 4 room transformation model Redesigning architectural practice means redesigning how physical architecture comes to be. Redesigning a professional practice is a quixotic quest at best, “but if not us then who?”, Ron Smith & Bernard Mohr say. Innovation Gallery Visit the Innovation Gallery for stop&go information at different stalls. Fill up your toolbox of designs for coordination, innovation, active jobs, and job quality measurement. Explore questions as: when is an organization ready for redesign? What makes a sociotechnical perspective sociotechnical? What do data literacy, company size and culture, and the rest of the supply chain have to do with it?
Concurrent sessions 1. Case study: transition of CSLBehring Mark Lascola facilitated a 17 month redesign at CLSBering from a local to global operation. CLSBehring vice-presdient Catarina Edfj채ll co-presents the session. 2. The socio-technical challenge of caring for the elderly at home: a diagnosis without a design solution Ken Easton considers the implications of integrating health and social care, case management, care pathways, and ICT. 3. The STS perspective must rise! Per Sederblad wants STSD to be more visible in organizations. Could giving more attention to inter-team relationships and effectiveness be the answer. 4. The new architecture pt. 2: Design parameters for physical space within STSD Floris van Puijenbroek talk about the interaction between Lowlands STSD and the design of physical space. Mohr & Smith co-host the following research-to-practice dialogue.
STS Design - Global STSD Network
11 September Open space for topics of passion Questions are far more interesting than answers. What are the questions that have come up for you during the past days but around which you want to have a deeper conversation around? Seize the moment! Facilitated by Don deGuerre. What if design doesn’t work? Practical hurdles in the way of our dreams and ideals can stop even the most passionate practitioners. What if things go wrong? Tim Vermeire is a workplace innovation comedian. Wrap-up, reflections on the week & bridge to 2016 Where do we come from, where are we going to? Join us in deciding the directions for 2016. Gala dinner The Global STSD Network closes in style with a dinner in the fancy Faculty Club restaurant at the old beguinage. Attention! The dinner is already included in the entrance fee, so there is absolutely no reason to leave us too soon! Stay for the evening, stay for the weekend, stay inspired.