Futures : Inspiring Social Innovation - across sectors, across borders - (English)

1st Futures Session

Social Innovation x Successful Aging Mon 9th July 2012

Overview

Actions across sectors in Japan and the UK

companies) taking turns to host each future

away from predicting how our society will

session in the series. The Future session

change negatively, and base our interaction

On 9 July, 2012, Futures, a Japan-UK initiative,

goes through a facilitation process which

on a positive outlook for a future successful

was launched in Tokyo to inspire social

includes: step 1 Questions; step 2 Insights;

aging society, considering issues such as

innovation to meet the challenge of an

step 3 Relationships; step 4 In-depth

the kinds of work environment we will have.

aging population through the promotion of

examination; and step 5 Emergence. The

Instead of thinking about the reasons why

collaborative actions across sectors and

aim is to create a collective wisdom through

our society is unable to change, we decided

across borders. Organised by the British

this facilitation process. Below, we can see

to begin from the premise that we will be

Council’ s Japan office, the International

an outline of the contents and results from

living in a changed society, and how, in this

University of Japan Center for Global

the steps of the first session.

changed society, we could live successfully.

was attended by 45 participants which

Step 1: Questions- Setting fresh questions

Step 2: Insights- New perspectives introduced

included representatives from corporate,

that evoke curiosity

by guest speakers

and other sectors. Amanda Feldman of

One of the difficulties of discussing the

We asked our three guest speakers, Masaki

Volans, one of the UK partners of the Futures

challenges of an aging society is that it is an

Tosaka, Vice President, Active Senior

initiative, was a speaker and participant.

issue which has become a familiar one. We

Business, Kao Corporation, Aya Kubosumi,

have all heard that birthrates are falling and

Chief Researcher, Research Institute of

that estimates for the future percentage of

Behavior Observation Osaka Gas, and

seniors as a part of the total population

Amanda Feldman, Engagement Manager,

Communications (GLOCOM), Fujitsu Laboratories and Future Sessions the event

local government, social enterprise, NPO,

What is a Future Session?

have risen to extremely high levels, and this

Volans for their thoughts on how we could

Futures has a unique project management

familiarity has led to fatigue. Thus, in our

prepare for this future of an increasing silver

style with the core partners (participating

first session, we decided to shift our focus

population. During his presentation, Mr.

1

Tosaka pointed out that the conventional way of assessing people’ s usage patterns

Q1: “How can we widen this approach of developing ‘close connections’ that

regarding consumer goods applied mainly

transcend age groups and local areas?”

to the under-50s section of the population,

Q2: “How can we develop a system where people who need help are visible?”

and that in the future, we must focus on a

Q3: “How can we create a system for connecting people through their interests

new more inclusive design that involves

and the contributions they can make?”

senior citizens as well. Ms. Kubosumi

Q4: “How can we create ‘happiness’ when it differs for each person?”

highlighted behavioural studies that show

Q5: “How can we create a society that accepts diverse values and lifestyles?”

that chemists are not simply places for seniors to shop, but also serve as community hubs, and suggested the possibility in the future of generating consumer goods and services that are designed to have a social purpose to provide value to the community.

Ms. Feldman presented data showing that

Q6: “How can we widen our work-life choices that are unlimited by age?”

Q7: “How can we develop community towns that are happy places to live for all age groups?”

Q8: “How can we build careers besides and beyond our current occupations that can contribute to local communities?”

Q9: “What will our ‘family’ look like in 2030? How will our definition of ‘family’ broaden?”

the proportion of elderly citizens (age 65

Fig.1 Nine powerful questions

and above) would reach 20% in the UK and 33% in Japan in year 2025. She also indicated five challenges in the UK related

home to maintain involvement in the community.

earthquake disaster of 2011. Commenting

to an aging population which have potential for cross-sector collaboration: 1) housing for seniors, 2) local community design, including mobility to access services, 3) health and social care, 4) social inclusion, including the creation of intergenerational relationships and the provision of employment opportunities beyond traditional age groups, and 5) personal finance.

on the Futures session to come, she said Step 4: In-depth examination- Exploring

the UK will be interested to see the social

questions and making them your business

innovation suggestions coming from this series.

In this section, more time was spent contemplating the comments and ideas proposed at each table. Participants were asked to choose a specific theme and produce a “powerful question” that provided a fresh viewpoint and also

Step 3: Relationships- Building relationships

highlighted the crucial issue identified by

transcending individual standpoints

te a m me m be r s . T h e o b j e c t i v e o f t h i s

Next, the participants talked about what

think about aging population issues as it

could be done on a personal or corporate level to realize a successful aging society, and a society in which people can age

exercise was to encourage participants to applied to their context. The formulation of good questions prompted many ideas as solutions.

achieving their full potential. Each table discussed various ideas, including ways in which we can connect to local communities.

The participants came up with diverse ideas from various perspectives about what we can do in the current situation, and the type of innovation that is required to enable those retiring from work to connect with local communities, including for example, future work styles (changing work styles for different age groups), and the need for more channels besides the workplace and the

sentiment that has grown since the Tohoku

Step 5: Emergence- Prompting actions with innovative ideas As a result, the participants came up with nine powerful questions: (Fig.1) After the presentation of the questions, Ms. Feldman commented that she was intrigued to see all the teams primarily concerned with social inclusion, and asked if this strong desire to connect to society is a 2

Spotlight

The first Futures session started with the

work styles. The following table divides the

broad theme of “Social Innovation x

nine questions into two categories. The first

Successful Aging” . The original objectives

question we must ask ourselves is: how will

for this session were firstly for each

the changes in our awareness we need to

participant to reassess this theme in terms

make in order to meet the challenge of 2025

of how it applies to his or her situation, and

affect corporations and the market? The

secondly to consider how this theme could

second question is: how will the changes to

be tackled by their company or organisation.

our work and life practices towards 2025

Through the results of the initial discussions

impact on corporations?

in the session, we decided to focus on the first objective of looking at the challenge

Change in awareness

from a personal standpoint, and leave the second one to be addressed in subsequent Futures sessions.

If we look at the nine powerful questions that were the outcome of this session, we can see strong personal desires to widen

Widening connections

Respecting diversity

1. Changes in the concept of close relationships 3. Connecting through interests and contributions we can make 9. Broadening the definition of the family

4. Sharing different forms of happiness 5. Accepting diverse lifestyles

opportunities, to help and connect with others, and to accept diverse lifestyles and

Change in the behavioural environment 2. Making people who need help visible 7. Providing places to live that transcend age groups

6. Work and life options 8. Diverse careers in local communities

Fig.2 : Nine powerful questions by category

3

Changes in awareness will have a huge

that will encourage mutual aid is

setting issues with a sense of urgency, from

impact on the choices in public services

anticipated, and in the workplace, a system

these and other viewpoints, engaging

and how we spend our disposable income.

that will allow people to play a role in local

diverse stakeholders in dialogues in order to

Products or services may be provided as

communities, even later in life. In such a

find the next action needed. We look

part of the process of forming groups or

situation, how will companies be able to

forward to seeing how companies will

communities. There may also be more

address employment issues as well as build

address these nine questions generated

products and services tailored to individual

systems that can promote mutual

from the participants’ personal perspectives

needs. Will companies be able to address

assistance?

as part of their corporation’ s agenda, and how these questions can be solved through

these changes in values?

This Futures session did not include a Changes in the behavioural environment will

thorough discussion on how companies can

take place both in an individual’ s personal

address changes in values and the

life and in the workplace. In an individual’ s

emergence of new needs. From the second

personal life, the emergence of a system

session, however, core partners will be

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their businesses.

Published in September 2012 by: British Council / FUJITSU LABORATORIES LTD. / Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan (GLOCOM) / Future Sessions Designed by hereticanthem co.,ltd.

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Š 2012 British Council, Fujitsu Laboratories ltd., Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan, Future Sessions