The document discusses digital shoring, a contemporary organizational strategy that leverages digital technologies to enhance collaboration and innovation among companies, overcoming the limitations of traditional industry clusters. Research shows that executives believe digital tools can help address challenges such as non-collaborative cultures and talent attraction within these clusters. It emphasizes the importance of creating networks—both formal and informal—to facilitate better partnerships and innovation in today's rapidly evolving market.

1. Digital Shoring for
Networked Innovation
Research reveals digital
technologies can help innovators
find each other

2. 2
Networked innovation
Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved. 2
By giving digital proximity to organizations with
a potential common purpose, companies can
leapfrog the natural limitations of physical
industry clusters.
Digital shoring:
• Unlocks new ways of working with partners
• Addresses strategic priorities to facilitate
better innovation and collaboration
• Introduces digital proximity to overcome the
limitations of physical industry partnerships
What is digital shoring?
Digital shoring—the latest
evolution of organizational
shoring approaches—
builds on digital technologies
and capabilities to help
innovators find each other.
Companies are under pressure to innovate faster than ever

3. 3
Accenture research
Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
We undertook:
Developing and executing a successful networked innovation strategy
• In collaboration with Oxford Economics
• 452 senior executives (mainly C-suite)
• 9 industry clusters from 3 industries:
Survey
Life Sciences
and Health
Chemicals
and Process
Automotive
• Sample of 180 industry-related professionals
• 6 industry clusters from 2 industries:
Interviews • 24 industry leaders and experts
Twitter
analysis
• Worked with the Accenture social media analytics team
Life Sciences and HealthAutomotive

4. 4
Accenture research: Survey
Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
A survey of 452 senior executives revealed that a
variety of obstacles stand in the way of gains from
participation in industry clusters. But executives believe
that digital tools can overcome these challenges.
Our research found that executives believe:
• Industry clusters can enhance relationships
• The benefits of industry clusters are difficult to attain
• Digital can overcome physical location limitations
What is an
industry cluster?
A geographic
concentration of
interconnected
businesses, suppliers,
and associated
institutions in a
particular field
*Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015
Understanding executives’ experiences with industry clusters

5. 5
Industry clusters can enhance relationships
Executives recognize the benefits of industry clusters
Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved. *Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015
Tomorrow’s complex
products are not going
to be made by the
technologies a large
company develops alone
under its own roof.
Collaboration between
different actors, large
and small, competitors
and partners, is crucial
for innovation.
Jayson Pankin, co-founder,
president and chief executive
officer, AutoHarvest
“
“
said innovation of new
products and services was
the main benefit of building
relationships with other
companies globally*
66%
report benefits in
sharing information with
organizations outside
their industry cluster*
61%
said a top benefit of clusters
is building professional
relationships and a network
for the future*
69%

6. 6
The benefits of industry clusters are difficult to attain
Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved. *Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015
Executives struggle to successfully extract benefits
reveal uncertainty over the
benefits of collaboration in
their industry cluster*54%
noted a lack of variety of
potential collaborators
within their industry cluster*46%
said a non-collaborative
culture was a top three
industry cluster challenge*36%
To operate globally using
digital tools, new skills
are required.
Frank Bobe, entrepreneur-
in-residence, Wyss Institute,
Harvard University
“
“

7. 7Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
Digital can overcome physical location limitations
Executives believe in digital solutions
who ranked a non-
collaborative culture
among their top three
cluster challenges believe
it can be solved digitally*
82%
who ranked attracting talent
among their top three
cluster challenges believe it
can be solved digitally*
77%
who reported difficulty
translating cluster
relationships into valuable
outcomes believe that digital
tools could help*
65%
Our globally dispersed
members work 20 percent
physically in face-to-face
meetings, and 80 percent
virtually using different digital
tools such as teleconferencing
technologies.
Steve Crumb, executive director,
GENIVI Alliance
“ “
*Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015

8. 8Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
Accenture research: Interviews
Understanding how digital technology enables networked innovation
We interviewed 24 industry leaders and
experts:
• Subject matter experts from the
Wyss Institute at Harvard University,
London Business School, INSEAD
Singapore, Melbourne Business
School and Cambridge Judge
Business School
• Industry leaders from multinational
companies and industry associations
• Experts from local chambers of
commerce, technology and
innovation organizations
There is a link between investing
in digital collaboration tools and better
engaging with the Generation Y talent
in workplaces.
Adam Kingl, executive director of learning
solutions, London Business School
“ “
Collaboration…needs to be done
in an unbiased, unfettered way with
everyone having a chance to
participate in a level playing field;
whether grassroots entrepreneurs
or corporate titans.
Jayson Pankin, co-founder, president
and chief executive officer, AutoHarvest
“ “

9. 9Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
Six-month Twitter analysis: 180 executives, two industries, six
geographic regions
average number of
industry-related hashtags
that appeared in the top
10 most far-reaching1
hashtags*
8.5
Twitter conversations with
users followed by Basel
executives who were
located outside Europe*
55%
average proportion of
connections with users located
outside of immediate
geographic surroundings*
70%
Twitter is especially helpful
during conferences, as people
actively tweet during these
events using certain hashtags.
That helps cut through the
clutter of conferences, and it
also allows people to initiate
new relationships and find the
thought leaders.
Sarah MacDonald, executive
vice president, Massachusetts
Biotechnology Council
“
“
1Note: Reach refers to the overall number of Twitter users who potentially
saw the tweet or hashtag
*Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015
Accenture research: Twitter analysis

10. 10Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
Digital shoring benefits:
Opportunity one: Live in the global village
The global village consists of a formal network that
brings together many organizations in a common
pursuit, and informal networks, where employees
tap into available tools, such as social media, to form
their own digital global communities.
Opportunity two: Know your neighbors better
Digital technology is not an alternative to physical
presence but an important amplifier of its benefits.
Where next?
The path to networked innovation
Look beyond existing business boundaries. Whether using formal
industry networks or informal social media-based communities,
organizations can create a path to networked innovation.
Ask yourself:
• Who are the right partners
for collaboration?
• How open is our
organization to outsiders?
• How can our employees
be ambassadors for
digital shoring?
• Are today’s digital tools
good enough?

11. 11Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
Read interviews from industry leaders and experts:
Digital Shoring for
Networked Innovation
Related reading
• Frank Bobe, entrepreneur-in-residence, Wyss Institute, Harvard University
• Steve Crumb, executive director, GENIVI Alliance
• Adam Kingl, executive director of learning solutions, London Business School
• Sarah MacDonald, executive vice president, Massachusetts Biotechnology Council
• Jayson Pankin, co-founder, president and chief executive officer, AutoHarvest
www.accenture.com/digitalshoring

12. 12Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.
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