bic innovation case study

From resilience to transformation

From transformation to action, from action to performance.

Our passion for bringing Simplicity and Joy to people's lives is what drives our successes today, and inspires our innovations of tomorrow. With the insight of our Executive Team and unmatched industry expertise, we continue to find meaningful ways to grow our global portfolio of Brands.

The essential products we create and the love that our consumers have for them is what has kept the BIC ® brand resilient during times of major economic or market turmoil for more than 75 years. Launched in 2019, our Invent the Future transformation Plan has strengthened our core capabilities, and given us a solid foundation on which to grow.

Our Horizon Strategic Plan shines a spotlight on our consumers more than ever before. Grounded on Sustainable Innovation, this new consumer-centric approach will help us respond faster and better to evolving consumer demands while keeping our Brand relevant and purposeful for decades to come.

Our Strategy is proving successful, resulting in robust Financial Performance and solid Value Creation for all Stakeholders. With our new consumer-centric business model, we are in the best position possible to meet the needs of changing consumer behavior with products that will continue to surprise and delight.

TURNING HEADWINDS INTO OPPORTUNITIES

Our Horizon Plan inspires our team members to stretch the boundaries of what BIC can be, and how Consumers can incorporate our Products into their lives.

The Horizon Strategic Plan is focused on a set of initiatives that build on BIC’s strengths, with an intensified focus on consumer needs and sustainability. The goal is not only to amplify the core capabilities that have propelled BIC for the last 75 years, but to go beyond them into adjacent segments to ensure our long-term sustainable growth, profitability, and return to shareholders.

Horizon builds on the Invent the Future transformation plan, which provided the company with a strong foundation to unlock long-term growth. The goal was to build muscle through centralized procurement, a redesigned supply chain, and reinforced core capabilities. With Invent the Future , BIC turned more resilient and equipped to weather the economic and financial disruption of the COVID-19 health crisis.

The Horizon Plan takes a more aspirational view of our three Product Categories in order to help them thrive despite headwinds. The goal is to unlock Category growth by:

• Expanding total addressable markets in fast-growing segments and evolving BIC’s business model to capture an increasing value share of our markets, with a strong focus on execution and return on investments;
• Leveraging innovation capabilities and manufacturing excellence to generate incremental revenues through new routes-to-market;
• Capitalizing on the BIC ® brand in our core markets and building on new lifestyles to grow a comprehensive portfolio of consumer-led brands.

THE GOALS OF HORIZON

Moving “beyond” with consumersʼ lens.

Being Consumer-driven means going beyond our traditional products into new consumer occasions and categories. By thinking differently about our categories and capabilities, we can expand our horizons for growth.

Human Expression

Evolving focus from Stationery to “Human Expression”, moving beyond Writing Instruments into Creative and Digital Expression.

Blade excellence

Growing our one-piece Shavers business with sustainable products, and capitalizing on our “Blade Excellence” assets to become a high-precision blade manufacturer to power other brands.

Flame for life

Expanding Lighters to “Flame For Life” to focus on all lighting occasions, and a more value-driven model.

“  Invent the Future was about setting the foundations for BIC’s long-term growth by reorganizing the company. Horizon is about putting bricks on that concrete foundation. ”

Sara LaPorta, Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer

ANTICIPATING CONSUMERS’ DEMAND

The role of innovation is to drive sustainable and profitable growth through new and surprising technologies. BIC is harnessing the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to capture in real time how consumers are using our products. This gives us insights on how the products could better meet their needs and desires.

Avient: an example of Consumer-centric sustainable innovation

Hybrid shavers are an example of how BIC is putting sustainable innovation into action. Working with Avient, a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste , we have developed a new version of the BIC Click ® Soleil 5 for women, with a new recycled material incorporated into the handle. The new shaver combines Avient’s reSound R TPE with a transparent plastic with 40% recycled content. The product meets a growing consumer demand for high-quality refillable razors with a reduced impact on the environment.

ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE AND CONSUMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION

R&D teams are working on how to develop products desired by consumers and examples of their research include:

• development of technologies to allow sustainable manufacturing process, and reduced overall CO 2 factoriesʼ footprint;
• development of solutions for increasing durability and extending coloring products’ life in Stationery;
• development of innovative features in Shaversʼ products, aiming in excelling in shaving performance;
• development of sustainable solutions by designing refillable products with the minimum amount of material.

Key innovations in 2021

• In April, we launched ReVolution , the first full range of eco-friendly Stationery products, such as high-quality, long-lasting ball pens, mechanical pencils, permanent markers and correction tape, each composed of at least 50% recycled plastic.
• Also in April, we launched in Europe the BIC ® Cristal ® Re’New™. This rechargeable metallic Cristal ® Ballpoint Pen completes BIC’s iconic Cristal ® range, offering a metal body, and a recycled plastic cap.
• The BIC ® BAMBOO shaver was launched in July. This five-blade Hybrid Flex 5 ® with a movable head has a handle made from responsibly sourced bamboo.
• Also in July, we brought our range of hybrid razors – the Hybrid 5 Flex ® for men and the Click ® 3 Soleil for women – to Europe. Both products come in 100% recyclable cardboard packaging.

An open innovation eco-system

Collaboration is a key element of our innovation strategy. We have entered into partnerships in order to gain access to new capabilities and to accelerate development of the next generation of BIC ® products. Our partnership with Plug & Play, the largest global innovation platform for startups and corporations and a member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste gives BIC access to a wide range of startups and talent. It also enables BIC to stay on top of new trends and accelerate our creation of new sustainable products to meet rapidly changing consumer needs.

The Data-Driven Invention Lab is another example. We are working with the technology company Iprova to gain early insights on technologies and trends and to integrate them into our innovation pipeline. Using Iprova’s machine learning-based, data-driven approach to invention, the Lab helps BIC anticipate and answer rapidly to changing consumer needs with inventions using Iprova’s technology.

In 2021, 8.1% of BIC’s Net Sales came from innovation introduced in the last three years.

“ In 2022 we will double down on our focus areas in innovation to find new ways to surprise and delight the customers, always exceeding expectations. ”

Elizabeth Maul, Group Insights, Innovation & Sustainability Officer

Industry & supply chain

Strengthening our supply chain.

BIC’s end-to-end Global Supply Chain is designed to generate business value and to create a competitive edge for BIC. It is the engine driving the company’s transformation to a consumer-centric company.

Throughout 2021 the pressures on our Supply Chain intensified, including rising Energy costs, shortages of Raw Materials, higher Shipping costs, and historically high prices for Packaging and Metals. In the face of these obstacles, our Supply Chain proved resistant and we kept our factories open.

ACHIEVEMENTS  

Steps taken in 2021 to reduce uncertainties and guarantee the supply chain:

• To meet rising input costs, we launched a hedging program that mitigates the resulting price hikes for plastics; this resulted in a savings of around €2.5 million in 2021.
• by intensifying internal and external risk assessment;
• by establishing a centralized point of contact with them;
• and by offering long-term commitment and greater visibility – up to three years – on orders in exchange for guaranteed availability of supplies.
• To reduce pressure on our factories, we set a goal to lower by 20% the amount of single sourced materials.
• We worked to speed up certification of materials.
• We set up savings initiatives that includes organizing tenders with business partners to reduce operating costs, and challenging the demand – design-to-cost exercise – for greater cost efficiency.

sea freight

Rising shipping costs remained a major challenge for manufacturers everywhere. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a shortage of containers, with demand far exceeding the capacity offered by shipping lines. The result: higher shipping costs as BIC and other companies competed for limited spaces on board containers to secure their supply chains.

€20 million

savings from value capture program that tracked 600 projects

SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT

The destabilization of the Supply Chain accelerated aspects of our Sustainable Development Program. The shortage of regular Plastics, for example, validated our decision to partner with Avient for Recycled Plastics or other Sustainable Materials. We transformed a crisis in Materials into an opportunity to advance on Sustainable Procurement.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Steps taken in 2021 for a more sustainable supply chain:

• Reassessed BIC’s “strategic suppliers”;
• Launched Phase 2 of Lightersʼ study in 9 key markets with 26 suppliers in order to obtain full transparency on the whole Supply Chain;
• Initiated a study to reduce Scope 3 CO 2 emissions from suppliers which represent two thirds of BIC’s emissions;
• Upgraded our renewable electricity target, committing to achieve 100% by 2025.

The challenges ahead

To meet 2022 challenges, we have set four priorities:

Profitability: the goal is to outperform the market by reducing operating costs and mitigating price increases through “demand management”.

Reliability: increase dual sourcing, strengthen relationships with suppliers.

Sustainability: look for more innovative suppliers and extract more innovation from existing suppliers.

Supporting the company’s M&A activity: integrating the suppliers for BIC’s two major acquisitions in 2020 (Rocketbook and Djeep).

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM

2021 saw the kick-off of the US supplier diversity program (a proactive business program that encourages the use of businesses owned by women, minorities, veterans, the disabled, LGBT, as well as small businesses). The program aligns with our Horizon strategy by delivering growth through Consumer Centricity and rapid innovation; it is a way to gain access to a whole new network and a larger pool of qualified suppliers/contractors for cost savings, higher quality products, and services.

commercial excellence

Raising the bar.

Horizon is a strategy that focuses on accelerating and winning in the growing segments, channels, and markets, where consumersʼ desires and habits are changing. Built on a stronger and agile commercial operation, Horizon raises the bar of commercial excellence to drive BIC’s growth and profitability.

Three components drive our commercial transformation: Omnichannel distribution, Revenue Growth Management and Portfolio Management.

Omnichannel distribution.

Today BIC consumers buy our products both offline and online. Through its Omnichannel strategy, BIC is creating a seamless online/offline shopping experience.

The investments we have made in e-commerce over the past two years are paying off: we achieved our e-commerce Net Sales target of 10% of our business ahead of our 2022 commitment, including Rocketbook. Our core e-commerce sales grew 21% in 2021, and BIC holds leading positions online in all three product categories.

REDUCING complexity

Two years ago, we began reducing our SKUs (stock keeping units) in Brazil; in 2021, we expanded the program globally. Reducing SKUs has three benefits: it solves the paradox of choice for the consumer; it improves space utilization on shelf, in warehouses and in transit; and it reduces our own manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping complexity and costs. In 2022, we will continue to eliminate some while adding other new products, for a net reduction.

Revenue Growth Management

This is a data-based analytical approach to pricing, improved promotional efficiency, scaled personalization, and reduced internal complexity. It means using surgical pricing and selecting promotions that provide real value creation for the company and its customers. We have removed inefficient promotional spending, leading to a higher average selling price and increasing product gross profit, while actually increasing sales momentum.

Portfolio management

BIC’s portfolio management approach: allocate resources, change business models in lower potential markets and focus on profitability in mature markets.

• Targeting Invest to Grow geographies, such as Morocco and Nigeria, where BIC can grow in all categories.
• Supporting these markets with incremental advertising and brand support to drive brand awareness and conversion.
• Investing in distribution and go-to-market drivers.
• Identifying markets to exit completely or change the business model.

countries in which we held or gained market share across our three divisions

growth of e-commerce sales

“ By raising the bar of Commercial Excellence, we will drive growth for our brands and ensure profitability and improvement in cash flow. ”

Chester Twigg, Global Chief Commercial Officer

Sustainability

At the core of everything we do.

Sustainable development has guided BIC’s approach to doing business for nearly twenty years. Our “Writing the Future, Together” program established five major commitments to acting as a responsible company, and limiting our environmental footprint.

Sustainability is a key element of our business model, underscoring all our activities and decisions. We are determined to reduce the environmental and societal footprint of our products and operations; this means a complete transformation of our approach to plastics. For BIC, doing business means respecting ethical principles and human rights in the workplace, and operating with integrity. We believe in providing our team members with a safe workplace, extending our responsible approach throughout our supply chain and investing in education. As a corporate citizen, we support the local communities where we operate. Through these and other actions, we strive to constantly improve our performance and help write a sustainable future for all. In December, BIC joined the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. By adopting the UN Global Compact’s ten principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, BIC reaffirms the critical role that Sustainability has played in helping shape the company’s long-term success.

RECYCLING RAZORS IN SPAIN

We have expanded our long-term partnership with TerraCycle ® with the first free razor recycling program in Spain. Through this program, launched last July, BIC and TerraCycle ® collect razors across the Spanish mainland and recycle them into soap holders or other toiletries to support the development of the circular economy for both the country and the company. BIC has worked with TerraCycle ® , a world leader in the treatment of hard-to-recycle waste, since 2011. As a result of this partnership, BIC and TerraCycle ® have recycled more than 64 million stationery items in Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION IN BIC ® PRODUCTS

Simple, inventive designs, with less raw materials and long-lasting performance: Sustainable Development is embedded into BIC ® products starting from the design phase.

2025-2030 commitments

• By 2025, the environmental and/or societal footprint of all BIC ® products will be improved.
• By 2025, 100% of consumer plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
• By 2030, we will use 50% non-virgin petroleum plastic or alternatives in our products.

2021 key achievements and results

• We use EMA (1) in all innovation projects to evaluate products’ environmental and societal impacts.
• The Environmental or societal performances of 12 products were improved.
• The tool for assessing and improving CSR packaging performance was finalized and integrated into the operational models. All new innovation programs were evaluated.
• 16 products labeled NF Environment .

(1) Environmentally & socially measurable advantage.

% of recycled/alternative plastics in BIC ® products

(% of volumes purchased)

% of reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging

Acting against climate change.

We deploy a global approach to energy consumption (energy efficiency, use of renewable energy, etc.) based on a Group roadmap and local choices.

2025 Commitment By 2025, BIC will use 100% renewable electricity.

• In 2021, 79% of electricity came from renewable sources.
• Our future headquarters in Clichy (France) will be certified BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), meeting the highest requirements for environmental performance and energy efficiency.
• BIC was awarded an A- leadership 2021 CDP score on Climate Change.

% of electricity from renewable sources

Total annual greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions.

(scope 1 + scope 2 market based) in teqCO 2

THE 4 Rs – reduce, recycled, refillable, Recyclable – applied to BIC ® Products

In 2021 we launched several innovative products with environmental benefits, moving a step forward to reducing our overall carbon footprint.

Use Recycled or alternative materials

• BIC USA launched BIC ® ReVolution, a full range eco-friendly Stationery line made of at least 50% recycled plastic. The BIC ® ReVolution Ocean Retractable Ball Pen comprises 73% recycled ocean-bound plastic.
• The BIC ® BAMBOO five-blade Hybrid Flex 5 ® shaver with a movable head has a handle made from responsibly-sourced bamboo. BAMBOO comes in 100% recyclable cardboard packaging made of 50% recycled paper, including refills in 95% recycled paper packaging.
• We introduced our new Hybrid shaver range in Europe. Made with recycled plastic handles and with recyclable packaging, this range was deployed in North America and Latin American in the third quarter.

Design and manufacture Refillable products and packaging when possible

• The BIC ® Cristal ® Re’New™, our first rechargeable metallic Cristal Ball Pen, was introduced in Europe in January. This refillable premium ball pen completes BIC’s iconic Cristal ® range, offering a metal body and a recycled plastic cap.

Design and manufacture Recyclable products and packaging

• Almost all our packaging comes from recycled sources. In Lighters, we have started, production of full cardboard and cellulose packaging: trays and multipacks, with an environmental impact reduced by 1/3.

COMMITTING TO A SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT

The Group is committed to the safety, health and well-being of its team members.

2025 Commitment By 2025, BIC aims for zero accidents across all operations.

• Roll-out of the safety culture to sales teams
• Reinforcement, with a health and safety dimension, of the due diligence processes in merger and acquisition procedures
• Integration of the HSE aspect into BIC’s new team member onboarding process

PROACTIVELY INVOLVING SUPPLIERS

Being a responsible company requires control of our entire value chain. Our purchasing team analyzes all risks and selects and collaborates with our most strategic suppliers on implementing a responsible approach.

2025 Commitment By 2025, BIC will work responsibly with its strategic suppliers to ensure the most secure, innovative and efficient sourcing.

• Integration of 52.3% (1) of strategic suppliers of the responsible purchasing program
• Training on the environmental and social impacts of supply chains and responsible purchasing practices for purchasing teams
• Value chain analysis of 9 raw materials and 26 suppliers resulting in the identification of supply areas at risk
• Consultations with over 30 relevant stakeholders to identify actions to leverage a more responsible supply chain
• Identification of risk reduction solutions for each material category (metal, gas and plastic)

(1) Excluding Cello, BIC Graphic, new acquisitions and certain OEMs.

IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION

Because education has the power to change the world, it has always been at the heart of the Group’s concerns.

2025 commitment By 2025, BIC will improve learning conditions for 250 million children, globally.

• Learning conditions improved for more than 158 million children since 2018
• 73% of philanthropic contributions promoted education

Sharing value with all stakeholders

In March, BIC launched an innovative €40 million ESG Impact Share Buyback Program. This program is consistent with BIC’s mission to create and share value with all stakeholders. The outperformance is allocated to the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab’s (J-PAL) tutoring and parental programs in Europe and the US, and, to the BIC Corporate Foundation for Education.

LIGHTERS’ SUSTAINABILITY program

Innovation and exploration drive sustainable development in the Flame for Life division. Our approach is based on the following principles:

• adopting a science-based approach;
• exploring new avenues and questioning all options;
• considering social and environmental impacts;
• promoting open dialogs and partnerships.

At each stage of the life cycle of our lighters, we are transforming internal practices, thus addressing three major issues: climate change, resource depletion and plastic pollution. We regularly launch new pilot projects, which evolve as we receive feedback and obtain satisfactory scalable results.

TEAM MEMBERS

A reinforced commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion.

BIC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Policy expresses our Commitment to being an equal opportunity employer and maintaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we live and operate.

Promoting a culture of inclusion At BIC, we consider cultural and individual diversity an essential element of team culture. We try to ensure that our teams reflect as closely as possible the diversity of the Group’s customers and consumers around the world. We welcome them and give them a sense of responsibility through a culture of inclusion founded on practices of responsible leadership and management. And we encourage the diversity and dynamism of our teams as drivers for innovation and a key factor for our success.

DE&I values drive BIC’s training, promotion, and recruitment policies. In 2021, we took a number of initiatives to further our role as an agent of positive change. In January 2021, Gonzalve Bich joined the “CEO action for diversity and inclusion™”, the largest CEO-driven business commitment of its kind. By taking this pledge, Gonzalve Bich is committing to take action to ensure the company’s culture celebrates and welcomes diverse perspectives and experiences and encourages open conversations about DE&I.

“SHARING HORIZON”

In the spirit of sharing value with all team members, BIC launched its “Sharing Horizonˮ Employee shareholding plan. With “Sharing Horizonˮ, all BIC team members have been granted 5 shares. With this plan, BIC acknowledges the critical role team members play in the success of the achievement of Horizon plan.

Our global Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy has set a series of strategic objectives and KPIs to measure our progress in the areas of belonging, attraction, promotion and influence:

Set a baseline for the inclusion metric as measured through quarterly pulse surveys

Achievement:

• 2 pulse surveys were launched measuring Engagement, Inclusion, Trust, and Manager Effectiveness. Results were shared with all business units which have developed action plans to address key areas of opportunity with regular updates to our team members in Global and Regional Town Halls.
• Our Allyship program continues to grow with almost 100 team members around the globe volunteering to help roll out the Group’s DE&I strategy. They organize local events to celebrate Regional and International Diversity days such as International Women’s Day, Pride Month, World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
• Launch of mandatory Inclusive Leader learning journey for General Managers, Plant Managers, Directors and above.
• Two more courses will be launched in 2022 on “Being an Inclusive Leader” and “Building an Inclusive Culture”.

Increase the number of mid-management women and other underrepresented minorities through promotions and new assignments

• Partnership with a female-owned consultancy firm to facilitate a series of listening sessions with 70 women in 22 countries. The program provided valuable insights into the challenges our female team members face and the necessary changes in career development, wellness programs and manager training.

Increase female representation in Director and above positions to 40% in 2027

• Continued focus on delivering a gender balanced slate of candidates in mid-management and above position with 44% of all hires being females.
• the Black Executive Leadership Program, which is designed for targeted managers and takes the form of facilitated small group discussions.
• a Management Accelerator that targets leaders at the beginning or middle of their career.

Improve involvement in external organizations to show our commitment to DE&I

• Participation in the “Break the Ceiling Touch the Sky ® ” summit in New York and Dubai, which offered companies an opportunity to learn DE&I best practices and connect with women leaders from around the world.
• Senior Leader involvement and speaking engagements in Network of Executive Women, Break the Ceiling Touch the Sky ® and Enactus.

DIVERSITY EQUITY & INCLUSION (DE&I) REGIONAL ALLIES

“ When employees feel good where they are and can be who they really are, they bring out the best of themselves, whether in their personal or professional lives. We work with people, and they are very important for the sustainability of our business. Seeing the sparkle in our people’s eyes is what motivates me! ”

Tatania Conti Regional Ally Latin America Latam recruiter

“ Being more diverse and inclusive allows us to widen our comprehension of new trends and societal issues, accelerating innovation and enhancing our relevance in the consumers’ view. ”

Decio Duarte Regional Ally Latin America Regional Communications Manager – Latin America

“ Getting all team members to support diversity was initially a challenge. The first conversations gave me insights which I used to raise awareness. I could then network and participate in internal and external DE&I activities. ”

Khyati Amlani Regional Ally India Legal Counsel – India & APAC

“ In 2021, BIC clearly prioritized DE&I initiatives, and the result is a company culture which is truly inclusive. The Allyship Team was very active and committed to developing programs and monthly diversity initiatives, such as MLK Day, Black History, Women’s History, Hispanic Heritage, Juneteenth, Veteran’s Day, Pride Month and National Immigrants Day. ”

Patrick Scales Regional Ally USA Eastern Regional Manager – Office Products BIC USA

“ The most rewarding aspect of being a DE&I Ally is the awareness of being part of something great. The objective is to make the workplace more equitable and more inclusive for everyone, and this can have a very positive impact on all employees, on BIC, and, if many other companies do the same, on the society at large.  ”

Alessandro Molesi Regional Ally Europe Business Developer – Image Channel in Spain

How BIC Took Over The World With Cheap Pens, Lighters, and Razors

Table of contents.

BIC is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of lighters, pens, shaving, and promotional products, bringing simplicity and joy to people’s lives.

From beginning their day by using BIC razors to ending it after journaling using BIC pens, millions of people around the globe have grown up using BIC (pronounced:  beek ) products. Look around, maybe you have a few besides you right now.

Yet the journey of such a renowned brand began in a leaky shed in Clichy in 1945 with just a vision – to give everyone, everywhere, the power of creative expression.

Today, after almost eight decades, BIC has cemented its place as an iconic manufacturing powerhouse and has made a place in every heart and home.

Key 2021 Statistics and Facts Highlighting BIC’s Success

• Revenue of  €1.8 billion
• Profit of  €279.8 million
• Total assets of  €2.2 billion
• Has  24 factories in 4 continents
• Over  10,000 employees  worldwide
• Stock price of  €52.2 as of June 2022
• BIC market share increases or remains firm  in strategic segments and countries

So, how did BIC manage to grow in terms so size, stature, and reputation over the year?

Let’s review its incredible growth journey and the strategies the company implemented along the way!

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BIC Begins With A Simple Vision & Clear Action Plan

With just a simple vision – to democratize writing and give people the power of freedom of expression – BIC’s foundations were laid in 1945

How BIC Got Started?

Marcel Baron Bich was a production manager at an ink company. He resigned from his position and joined hands with Edouard Buffard to establish a manufacturing unit in 1945.

In these early days, Bich produced manufacturing parts for fountain pens and mechanical pencils.

After acquiring a full-scale factory called PPA - Porte-plume, Porte-mines et Accessories, Bich’s next step was to become a reliable producer of plastic barrels used in ballpoint pens for other manufacturing companies.

In 1949, Bich began to improve the revolutionary ballpoint design introduced by Ladislas Biro, a Hungarian inventor. The challenge met by early ballpoint pens in the market was their tendency to leak and clog. However, Bich combined Swiss watchmaking techniques with Biro’s design to come up with stainless steel tips for his ballpoints.

In December, 1950, Marcel Bich launched his own ballpoint pen, BIC Cristal, under the BIC brand in France - an innovation that proved immediately popular and successful. The non-retractable ballpoint pen’s simple design, sold at 19 cents, made it a reliable and affordable purchase.

BIC’s founders’ entrepreneurial spirit encouraged them to buy Ladislas Biro’s patent for $2 million (after adjusting for inflation) in 1953.

With Biro's patent purchase, PPA transformed into Societe BIC, which is shortened and now popularly known as BIC.

BIC’s Innovation With the Ballpoint

Décolletage Plastique, the design team at Societe PPA, perfected the ballpoint by investing in cutting-edge Swiss technology of the time. Innovative technologies such as the one that could shape the metal down to 0.01 milliliters were brought in.

Consequently, a one-millimeter stainless steel sphere was created that allowed the ink to flow smoothly and guided the writer effortlessly.

However, another challenge remained: the ink was susceptible to clogging and leakage. To overcome yet another design challenge, Bich made ink with an ideal viscosity that neither leaked nor clogged.

The final ballpoint pen was launched as Cristal. Not only was the product a commercial success in Europe, but it also received rave reviews from creators and pioneers of the time. The Cristal was also featured in the  Phaidon Design Classics .

Another feather in BIC’s cap was BIC Cristal’s induction into the  Museum of Modern Arts (MoMA) ’s permanent collection – a nod to BIC’s everlasting legacy.

Early BIC Global Strategy in 1950-1960

After introducing BIC Cristal in Belgium in 1951, the company’s transformation into Societe BIC in 1953 allowed them to expand to more European centers, including the Netherlands and Switzerland.

By 1955, annual sales for BIC ballpoint pens were crossing $5 million. The following year in 1956, BIC launched its retractable M10 pen and entered the South American market that had its own challenges lying in wait for Bich. Here is a high level overview of BIC's timeline as it's published on its website :

• In 1957, BIC ventured in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
• In 1958, BIC entered the North American market.
• In 1959, BIC introduced its products to the Scandinavian population in the Scandinavian market.
• Around 1960, BIC was brought to Africa and the Middle East by leveraging local distributors.
• As 1965 emerged, BIC became a choice for Japanese consumers in Japanese markets.

All You Need To Know About BIC’s Brand Image

In 1950, when Marcel Bich introduced his famous BIC Cristal pen, BIC’s logo looked a lot different than how it is today. It was made up of three letters, “B I C,” packed inside a red parallelogram with the corners rounded off.

The logo we know today has a boy in an orange (Pantone 1235C) uniform with a ballpoint ball for a head. The logo is coupled with a distinct wordmark in black and orange (Pantone 1235C) that reads “BIC.”

French artist Raymond Savignac created the logo in 1961. The inspiration for the logo came from school children and students, who were one of the most lucrative market segments for BIC.

The head of the tungsten carbide ball was formed to highlight BIC’s unique selling feature that marks its distinctiveness from other competitors.

Having developed the iconic BIC Boy logo, Savignac stayed with the company for over two decades and created more than fifteen posters.

Key Takeaway 1: Invest Heavily On One Idea To Drive Exponential Growth

Even though BIC began its business manufacturing parts for fountain pens and mechanical pencils, it soon realized that there lay immense potential in the ballpoint.

Consequently, the company invested heavily in acquitting the patent for its technology and improving the technical aspects of the ballpoint.

This product not only announced its arrival in the local market but also paved the way for the company to enter international markets.

Likewise, new companies seeking to establish their brand should look to invest and focus on particular idea or product rather than expanding their portfolio too soon. Less is often more!

BIC Expands & Diversifies Post 1960s To Grow Exponentially

After acquiring a significant chunk of the ballpoint market share, BIC looked to venture into the US and build a more diversified product portfolio.

BIC Expansion Strategy In The US

While the market was ripe for BIC’s products, BIC could not accurately quantify the US market, which was already saturated with inexpensive, low-quality pens. Consequently, entering the US market was not as accessible as the European market.

Furthermore, a major obstacle was because of PaperMate pen company, bought by Gillette in 1955, which had already established its dominance in the American market.

Thus, BIC planned a strategic move in 1958 to enter the US market by first purchasing 60 percent of the Waterman Pen Company for a million American dollars.

Waterman Pen Company was then owned by Lewis E. Waterman, who was the inventor of the first fountain pen dating back to 1884. However, since the ballpoint pen grew in popularity, the demand for fountain pens had taken a drastic plunge. Bich was able to buy the rest of the company at an insignificant cost.

The purchase gave Waterman Pen Company the leverage to establish its headquarters in Connecticut under the new company name, “Waterman-BIC.”

To penetrate the already-saturated US market, Waterman-BIC started a full-fledged TV campaign to advertise its pens as staying as new as on day one under the slogan,  “First Time, Every Time.”

The campaigns demonstrated how Waterman-BIC pens could still work as though they were being used for the first time, even after going through gruesome scenarios such as being drilled and shot from guns. Further, Waterman-BIC consciously decided to sell their pens in grocery stores and small shops that were more accessible to students.

This also allowed BIC to avoid shelf competition from expensive pens at the extensive department and general stores.

BIC’s Diversification Strategy Helps It Win Over Competitors

The strategic marketing tactics had worked, and by 1967, Waterman-BIC was ranked as the largest pen-maker in the US, with its production units nearing over 500 million pens per annum.

By 1971, Waterman-BIC renamed itself the BIC Pen Corporation, which Bich thought accurately represented its business as they were now covering 60 percent of the pen market in the US.

Then, in 1973, BIC strategized to take up a brand-new challenge and diversify its existing product portfolio.

The new initiative to introduce luxury cigarette lighters was undertaken around the time when its direct competitor Gillette had acquired a French company manufacturing premium cigarette lighters named S.T. Dupont. As Dupont worked on its version of an economical disposable cigarette lighter, Cricket, to introduce in the US market, BIC’s lighters had also passed the development process and were soon launched by 1973.

Gillette was indeed a solid competition for the BIC Pen Corporation with a significant hold over the US market, but Gillette’s position was not uncontested.

Once again, BIC took the support of creative marketing campaigns to sell its lighters. The advertising campaign was coupled with a reduction in the price of BIC’s lighters – well below one dollar leading to a price war between BIC and Gillette. By 1978, disposable lighters had become one of BIC’s most prolific and profitable ventures, surpassing the sales of Gillette’s Cricket.

BIC had emerged victorious. Gillette, defeated and depleted, exited the market.

BIC Gains Competitive Advantage Over Gillette

The competition between BIC and Gillette had just started.

Soon, following the success of BIC’s disposable plastic shaver introduced in Europe in 1975 by BIC’s parent company, BIC decided to explore this new segment further and introduce the shavers in the US. Disposable shavers were Gillette's primary product line, and they ruled the US market for over 70 years after being introduced by the company in 1903.

To leverage its already strong position in this segment, Gillette introduced disposable shavers in the US a year before BIC could.

However, Gillette didn't anticipate a massive demand for disposable shavers. Since they were costlier to make and sold for less than Gillette's other products, Gillette did not fully capitalize on the opportunity. 

When BIC finally introduced its disposable shavers, the response was tremendously positive as the disposable shavers were primarily used by teens and women. BIC relied on heavy marketing commercials comparing its shavers to Gillette’s and claiming the same results for half the amount.

By 1982, BIC had sold enough shavers and lighters to claim the status of a leading manufacturer of lighters and shavers, adopting a new identity well-suited for all its ventures by the name BIC Corporation. BIC had progressed and penetrated far enough to be able to remove the word “Pen” from its company name.

The corporation understood the many benefits of diversifying and exploring new prospects, and had the astonishing ability to take up one challenge after the other, continuously competing for market share with the industry’s best leaders and winning them over.

BIC Business Model Leverages Both Old and New Products

Alongside the introduction of an entirely new range of products, BIC was not ignoring the stationery segment that had previously brought it so much success either.

In 1992, BIC made yet another strategic purchase by acquiring Wite-Out Products Inc. to extend its stationery product line.

This time, BIC was not entering a new market but expanding its very own “writing” segment through which it previously sold ballpoint pens. Under the name BIC Wite-Out, the company introduced its first correction fluid in the US, which was met with great success.

In the same year, BIC announced its highest sales and revenue and started trading on the NYSE.

Key Takeaway 2: Focus On Targeted Marketing Campaigns To Increase Market Share

Advertisements can enhance a brand experience by creating associations between the product and its unique qualities. BIC’s creative advertisement campaign served to instantly drive home what made the product stand out among other options.

BIC also strategically targeted stores accessible to the demographic the product was designed to appeal to. The success of this tactic proves that knowing your customers and what they value is one of the most important ways to ensure that your product gains a prominent place in the market, even if that place initially seems to be relatively niche compared to other competitors.

BIC was able to overtake Gillette through its disposable shavers because it aptly identified the consumer need and then introduced a similar line for women, becoming the first one in the industry to market a shaver specifically targeted at women. It is a lesson that companies must swim in the Blue Ocean, which are uncharted territories where competition is non-existing.

BIC’s Portfolio Of Amazing Products Drives Growth

BIC’s  colorful and well-diversified  portfolio of products helps it attract new customers and retain existing ones.

BIC Revenue Growth With BodyMark and Coloring

BIC produces markers in four categories: permanent, single, metallic, and temporary tattoo markers.

The brand’s “Intensity Fashion” permanent markers show lasting colors on a range of surfaces from glass to plastic and are even undeterred by grease and dampness.

Most consumers have used regular coloring markers to draw tattoos on the skin on birthdays and similar events, but BIC BodyMark is created especially for use on skin. 

In 2018, BIC collaborated with Swedish tattoo artist Miryam Lumpini, known for her vibrant and mystical designs, to launch their line of temporary tattoo markers under the name “BodyMark."

Recognizing tattoos as a popular form of creative self-expression, BIC’s BodyMark makes experimenting with ink accessible for everyone - without pain or permanence. The product comes in eight different colors with a fine tip and "low-odor cosmetic grade ink" which is both skin-friendly and long-lasting. The felt tip is suitable for drawing thin lines and filling in color.

While BIC is not the first or the best-selling name in a global temporary tattoo market valued at  $809.8 million,  according to 2019 estimates, the marker form allows more freedom with design compared to decal (press-on tattoos).

BodyMark’s sales  aside from BIC Kids Coloring ranges launched in 2020, were also favorable in 2020. In addition, BIC has harnessed the power of social media by effectively pitching BodyMark - an area BIC had not explored before.

Manufacturing and selling an innovative product such as BodyMark also demands that a company utilizes necessary consumer data to attend to diverse demands. Within this, BodyMark was able to significantly increase customers’ add-to-cart rate and raise attributable sales by  968%  by running a targeted campaign on various social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Moreover, in September 2021,  BIC partnered with NFL  to release customized BodyMark collections with each league's colors. BIC BodyMark and Coloring ranges have identified a broad consumer base, with products specifically tailored for adults and kids, highlighting the original parent company's commitment to meet every consumer's needs.

BIC Positioning Strategy For Shaving Products

BIC implemented a similarly broad and market-sensitive strategy for its shaving products. Using extensively commissioned  research,  BIC assessed the growing demand for products with gender-neutral marketing.

Consequently, in 2020 BIC expanded its unisex personal care products line called "The US." consisting of unisex razors, shaving creams, and skin lotions.

The decision to expand was in response to the success of BIC’s Made For You unisex range that came out in 2019. Staying true to its promise of delivering accessible, personalized care, BIC’s team worked on razor technologies and lotion ingredients in addition to gender-neutral product packaging that would suit various skin types.

However, the company did not discontinue its gendered shaving products.

Disposable razors for men and women are still available for a large segment of consumers who find gendered identity a crucial aspect of their shopping experience. While razors for men come in dark, bold, and sturdy packaging, razors for women market pronounced femininity with light colors.

Thus, BIC is an ideal example of how companies can successfully adapt to changing consumer behaviors.

BIC Diversifies With Water Sports Products

BIC Sport began selling water sports products in 1979 and was a successful global manufacturer of windsurfing equipment by the late 1980s.

Over the years, BIC Sport has expanded and began producing surf, kayak, junior racing dinghies, and standup paddleboarding (SUP) equipment for more than 90 countries.

However, in 2018, BIC decided to focus on  its three primary product  categories, stationery, lighters, and shavers, and handed over BIC Sport to Tahe Outdoors, a European water sports products manufacturing company, shortly after.

Celebrated for its sustainable model of development in adventure sports and commitment to making it a family-friendly experience, BIC Sport has been a big player in expanding the market for its brand.

Now called “Tahe”, the union of these two companies plans on keeping the BIC Sport  “open-to-everyone”  strategy that makes water sports accessible and fun. BIC Sport's innovations in watersports are numerous, from "one class" racing divisions in sailing to fleets of windsurf boards and dinghies across various countries, exhibiting how BIC skillfully utilized the gap in the market.

Key Takeaway 3: Market The Experience You Offer, Not Just A Product!

No, BIC is not just another inexpensive consumer products company.

BIC transformed into an iconic brand that offers enriching experiences and in the process made its way into people’s hearts and home. 

How? By emotionally appealing to the masses, providing them quality solutions, and making their lives enjoyable.

Thus, companies can take a leaf from BIC’s book and focus not only on providing products but diverse, holistic, and memorable experiences people can enjoy and relate to.

BIC’s Digital Transformation Strategy To Invent The Future

Digital transformation is a big part of BIC’s plan moving forward.

Overview of BIC Digital Transformation Strategy

BIC’s strategies are a testament to its proactiveness for digital transformation.

The company relies on its  five-point SPARC formula  to achieve e-commerce success. BIC’s five-point SPARC formula is a work of art with strokes of mathematical ingenuity. The method allows BIC to choose between what exists in BIC’s product portfolio and how to optimize that mix for an online ecosystem.

The strategy has worked well for BIC as even BIC's digital shopping experience is straightforward to execute – a motto the company keeps close to its organizational values.

BIC Acquires Rocketbook In 2020

In 2020, BIC acquired a significant stake in Rocketbook – a smart notebook. It can be reused and is connected to a cloud.

Every writer can easily use a damp cloth to remove written content and scan the pages to upload written text on the cloud.

The acquisition is a collaborative partnership as both the companies, BIC and Rocketbook, envision a future of smart writing that is sustainable and innovative.

Rocketbook has a story that is reminiscent of BIC's origin story. Rocketbook’s co-founders, Jake Epstein and Joe Lemay, shared a few drinks at a pub and chalked their plans to bring disruptive changes to the centuries-old writing industry.

Key Takeaway 4: An R&D Approach to Digital Transformation

The future is digital. Some companies need to make huge leaps in transforming themselves digitally. But some companies can afford to adopt incremental digital changes that culminate into a company-wide digital transformation in the longer term.

BIC’s digital transformation is a multi-pronged approach investing in innovative products and processes hoping to get the expertise and the lion’s share when these products become widely adopted. A more Research and Development approach to digital transformation.

How Did BIC Become So Successful?

From being a small company operating out of a shed to a global brand, BIC has overcome numerous challenges and continued to delight customers, surprise competitors, and woo stakeholders.

BIC’s Vision

BIC’s vision is to “reimagine everyday essentials, designing products that are part of every Heart & Home.” This reveals the company’s commitment to grounding its brand in its customers’ everyday life and needs, ensuring its products have near-universal appeal and utility.

BIC’s Mission

BIC strives to create “high quality, safe, affordable, essential products trusted by everyone.” This indicates that apart from its understanding of what its customers need, the corporation also aims to fulfill those needs through products that are accessible and reliable, improving its customers’ lives as much as possible.

BIC’s Growth By Numbers

Key takeaways from bic’s journey.

Over the last 75+ years, BIC has implemented multiple successful strategies that have allowed to maintain a leading position in the industry.

Here are some of those main strategies:

Keep Offering Superior Products Regardless of Competition

Initially, BIC did not have close competitors. There were substitutes available, but none of them were close to what BIC was offering.

Despite an absence of competition, BIC stayed competitive with its rigorous marketing and rapid expansion.

The potential threat of competition was as effective for BIC as real competition. Moreover, BIC managed to meet the challenge even when it began facing intense competition from companies, such as Gillette, as it expanded its range of products.

Thus, brands should stay competitive and proactive.

Think Local, Go Global

Brands have an identity that they stick to.

This leads to major dilemmas, such as an inability to decide whether a company should adhere to its original narrative and procedures or whether it should adopt the new market’s norms and embrace the local culture.

BIC was tactical in approaching this dilemma. BIC stayed true to its core values of simplicity, affordability, and ease of use. At the same time, in its communication, BIC embraced the local lingo and culture.

In a nutshell, expanding large companies must go global but think local.

Offer Memorable Experiences

BIC is a manufacturing company. They produce everyday products that can be classified as basic or essential items.

Yet BIC has never shied away from turning each product into an experience. For instance,

• Stationery offers  Human Expression .
• Lighters provide  Flame for Life .
• Shavers give  Blade Excellence .

All of this lends credence to their claim of having a certain vision, especially one that is coherent and significant for their customers’ lifestyle. Therefore, to become a memorable brand with a distinct brand persona, companies must focus on brand experiences rather than products only.

Provide High Value for Money

Companies, especially relatively well-established brands, devise strategies to make the most profit by charging a premium price.

While innovation and quality demand a higher price, there must be a guiding principle. BIC’s guiding principle was its focus on offering value for money to its customers.

Therefore, learning from BIC’s emphasis on customer service, highly successful companies must have a coherent pricing strategy that enables customers to derive maximum value and utility.

BIC’s journey toward becoming one of the biggest names in the lighters, pens, and shaving industry is filled with extraordinary examples of growth-oriented, innovative, customer-centric, and forward-looking strategies.

• Case Studies

Achieving safety excellence through HSE integration

EHS & Sustainability: EHS&S

Case study at-a-glance

BIC’S JOURNEY TO HIGH-PERFORMANCE SAFETY THROUGH DIGITAL INNOVATION

Société BIC S.A., commonly referred to as BIC, is a manufacturing corporation based in Clichy, France. Founded in 1945 by Marcel Bich with a mission to create essential, high-quality, safe, affordable products in which everyone has confidence. BIC has over 12,777 employees and operates an international manufacturing footprint of 25 factories with a global presence in 165 countries.

Since its inception in 1944, the company has evolved into a multinational organization and a world leader in three main categories of business: stationery, lighters, and razors, which are sold in more than 160 countries around the world. True to its core founding principles and values, BIC has continued to positively impact the world and planet by offering sustainable solutions and products that bring simplicity and cheerfulness to everyday life.

Health and well-being in the workplace were BIC’s top strategic priorities. The company’s main goal was to protect health and safety in the workplace – aiming for zero accidents across all its sites by 2025 as part of its global sustainable development ambition. The Covid-19 and the global health crisis further compounded the goal, and the need to move faster was more important than anything else.

SAFETY CHALLENGES

When developing a global approach toward health and safety, there were two significant challenges BIC faced:

• Cultural and regulatory differences between countries that affect the perception of risk in each manufacturing location.
• Unequal access to technology and services varied by country.

BIC was in search of an EHS platform that could gather and centralize the Health, Safety and Environment* (HSE) data necessary to align company practices with the International Social Security Association’s Vision Zero program. As a partner of Vision Zero, BIC’s ultimate mission is to build a strong prevention culture that eliminates accidents, injuries and diseases in the workplace. The company decided to engage SAI360 to help them move from siloed, manual processes to a digitalized and integrated software platform.

DRIVERS FOR DIGITALIZATION

According to Gartner Inc., digitalization is “the process of employing digital technologies and information to transform business operations.” These were BIC’s drivers for undertaking a digital transformation.

• Lack of time to read, understand and follow all rules
• Lack of global standards and processes
• Disparate and disconnected data sources and risk registers
• Need for better monitoring of work situations
• Need for ongoing, active learning about safe working procedures
• Inability to track data
• Need for more in-depth analytics
• Need to build a corporate digital transformation strategy

Additionally, a survey sent to all HSE teams revealed that 20% of their time was spent on administrative tasks that were being done manually. Thus, it was clear that the system at the time was not consistent with the company’s safety goals.

Solving these issues was a crucial step in advancing toward the Vision Zero goal of a harm-free workplace that maintains manufacturing excellence, and SAI360 provided the tools necessary to begin the digital transformation journey.

PARTNERING WITH SAI360

BIC chose to partner with SAI360 because it addressed all the company’s key pain points through:

• Language options: The application is translated into Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, and French, so language is not a barrier to global use.
• Quick implementation: SAI360 offers an off-the-shelf option that is quick to roll out and simple to modify to specific needs.
• Robust data analysis: The platform provides a central repository of data and the tools to complete in-depth analyses that inform safety strategy.
• Complete integration: The platform makes it simple for workers to report and HSE teams to monitor and manage injuries and incidents.

Each module used by BIC is linked to the centralized Action Management module making it easy to flag necessary actions specific to the source, whether it was a Hazard that needed to be addressed or an Incident that had follow-up tasks.

The modules included: The Audit module within SAI360’s solution allowed BIC to implement a global standard based on the Vision Zero approach, to eliminate workplace injuries. Plant managers can self-assess against the standard, allowing BIC to use the Audit module to ensure adherence to proper health and safety protocols.

• Audit, for self-assessment to be conducted against protocols
• Covid-19 Case, to record and track cases
• Hazard Identification to identify potential causes of incidents and injuries
• Incident Management for recording, managing, and remediating accidents
• Job Hazard/Safety Analysis, for review and control of hazardous tasks
• Risk Register for the identification and control of risks
• Safety Watch for Observations
• Take 5 for workers to pause and consider hazards of a task

SAI360 offered BIC the EHS technology needed to begin a full digital transformation and improve HSE operations in a wide range of scenarios.

BIC’s HSE Director Sebastien Chaigneau was impressed with the SAI360 approach and methodology and said:

“SAI360 truly partners with its customers, and a few solutions suppliers I’ve worked with have demonstrated this commitment. The unexpected benefits of working with SAI360 are measurable and provide tremendous continuous improvement opportunities. Their willingness to listen and passion for releasing regular, highly valuable product updates enabled us to continually improve our EHS Management System to provide a safer, healthier workplace for all stakeholders.”

COVID-19 DIGITAL MANAGEMENT

BIC leverages the Covid-19 Case Management module within SAI360’s Covid Essentials solution to monitor how well Covid-related protocols were implemented at each plant site. In addition, the company used two self-assessment questionnaires: one addressing operational control and the second addressing the legalities associated with confirmed cases.

The data collected allowed BIC to evaluate the protocols in place and monitor which countries saw the most success in implementation, ultimately creating an easy-to-navigate global dashboard for better control.

LEVERAGING A SAFETY SCORECARD

Before implementing SAI360’s solutions, BIC relied on very few safety indicators, all of which worked only to show where the company was lagging. At first, HSE only recorded the number of workplace incidents, with no attached descriptions or data to help improve conditions and prevent the same circumstances from occurring again. The existing system was limited to employees and did not consider contractors and other third-party workers. The information gathered was transferred through an unstructured network of spreadsheets via email.

BIC overhauled the system using SAI360’s Document Register, Environmental Aspects, Hazard Identification and Incident modules to begin the digital transformation.

GLOBAL STANDARD IMPLEMENTATION The audit module within ‘SAI360’s solution allowed BIC to implement a global standard based on the Vision Zero approach, to eliminate workplace injuries. Plant managers can self-assess against the standard, allowing BIC to use the Audit module to ensure adherence to proper health and safety protocols.

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS When accidents do occur, BIC now relies on the Root Cause Analysis investigation within SAI360’s Incident module, which uses a universal methodology and language to identify the factors contributing to each incident. Additionally, every incident is examined on the module’s Five Whys and Sequence of Events elements. The classification of incidents centers around several consequences being: • Environmental • Equipment damage or loss • Fire • Motor vehicle accident • Near miss • Quality • Security • Injury with days lost or restricted Analyzing each incident ensures that even those that do not result in serious injury or fatality receive the same level of scrutiny to be able to identify all root causes. This gives HSE the power to alter protocols and procedures to prevent accidents at their root.

THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING HSE

Adopting digitalization requires engagement from all employees within the company. BIC uses SAI360 EHS&S technology to stay at the forefront of the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution, which centers on increasing automation and connecting workers to integrated HSE platforms that enable them to actively contribute to improved workplace safety.

A key driver for digitization is a global strategy to improve data analytics approach. SAI360 is the backbone of HSE digitization.

ADOPTION OF MOBILE APPLICATION BIC has begun using SAI’s mobile app, Roam. The app makes it simple to report incidents, make observations, track travel, and even add photos.

All information, whether from the web application or mobile app, is put into a central database, eliminating the time and effort required from email and other manual reporting methods.

SENSOR-BASED RISK ASSESSMENT Injury risk in manufacturing differs based on roles across factories. The more information the HSE team has on the unique risks of individual tasks and the movements they require, the better they can modify tasks to minimize the risk of injury.

BIC is testing a combination of sensors worn by operators and video monitoring to highlight hazardous gestures that can cause accidents. In addition to helping update policies and procedures, this visualization of risk benefits operators in training as they learn proper techniques.

BIOMETRY FOR PPE DELIVERY Connected technologies such as biometrics, for example, fingerprints, are utilized to streamline the delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE) to workers. BIC utilized this technology to distribute PPE to one of the Brazil plants, just as the Covid-19 pandemic gained traction. This implementation enhanced safety at scale for the nearly 1,000 workers at the plant.

AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY The BIC subsidiary BIC Technologie has begun using augmented and virtual reality apps to improve operations in several ways. AR apps assist with layout, planning, design reviews, enhanced training, and even provide remote 3D maintenance instructions. The developments, which were accelerated by Covid-19, contribute to safety by highlighting the hazardous parts of machines through the operator’s mobile device.

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BIC’s Journey to High Performance Safety Through Digital Innovation

In This Case Study, You'll:

BIC was in search of an EHS platform that could build a strong prevention culture that eliminated accidents, injuries and diseases in the workplace. The company decided to engage Evotix, an SAI360 Company, to help them move from siloed, manual processes to a digitalized and integrated software platform.

Before implementing their EHS&S solutions, BIC relied on very few safety indicators, all of which worked only to show where the company was lagging. BIC overhauled the system using our Document Register, Environmental Aspects, Hazard Identification and Incident modules to begin the digital transformation.

BIC partnered with Evotix because it addressed all of the company’s key pain points, including language options, quick implementation, robust data analysis and complete integration to manage injuries and accidents. 

What are you waiting for? Read this case study to understand how BIC achieved safety excellence through EHS integration with the help of Evotix.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why should i stop using manual processes to manage my health and safety processes.

Health and safety software is the cornerstone of exceptional health and safety leadership. It enables companies to ditch manual and paper files and spreadsheets with the automation and analytics needed for world-class health and safety programs.

What type of businesses should say goodbye to using manual processes to manage safety?

Health and safety software can benefit a wide range of industries including manufacturing, food & drink, construction, utility services, transport & logistics, municipalities, healthcare, education and housing.

What type of return on investment could health and safety software provide?

When investing in health and safety software, our customers typically see payback within 12 months. We have seen individual customers benefit from:

• 700% increa s e in incident reporting
• 17,000+ recorded behavioral conversations since implementation
• 85% reduction in time spent on reporting

Case Study:

Big innovation centre: mapping the innovation landscape.

At A Glance

• Big Innovation Centre (BIC) was launched in September 2011
• BIC exists to build a global innovation and investment hub by 2025
• BIC promotes growth through enhancing the flow of finance to innovative growth companies
• Its goal is to make businesses more purposeful and inclusive through the enormous potential of technology, creativity and innovation

The Challenge

The Big Innovation Map sprang from the work BIC did with the UK Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) to develop innovation diagnostic tools – one of which was a survey to enable entrepreneurs and organisations to assess innovation readiness and potential. The survey would deliver analysis of the survey results to the respondent and aggregate results to be mapped to show the UK’s innovation landscape.

Gavurin worked with BIC to deliver an online survey which had to be innovatively implemented to be consistent with its subject matter, as well as a survey results interface that was itself innovatively designed. Finally, Gavurin Analytics and Reporting would be required to show aggregated results across the UK

The Solution

Working closely with the team at BIC, Gavurin Consulting developed a clear brief using its proven user story methodology. From there, the development team worked on the key components of the brief – online questionnaire, data-sets and mapping, data analytics and report production (on-demand and bespoke).

Gavurin built an online survey based on BIC’s proprietary innovation framework to gather data from respondents. Each survey respondent is able to see and analyse their innovation capacity through their Innovation Profile. The survey takes around fifteen minutes to complete, and the results are gathered into three groups: Commercial Framework, Organisational Context and Ecosystem Leverage. The respondent is then given an analysis of their results including bespoke advice on how to improve their organisation’s innovation capacity.

A powerful innovation dataset was thus generated from the audit. Additionally, for larger organisations, the survey harnesses the views of each person in the organisation – whether public, private, big or small – to reveal innovation capacity differences within an organisation.

Gavurin gathered, structured and processed the data to make it usable in various applications such as custom ‘Innovation Reports’ for individual organisations and interactive Gavurin Analytics dashboards, which map innovation in a wider context across the UK.

The Big Innovation Map looks beyond traditional science, technology, product or service innovation to focus on organisations’ innovative capacity across the entire spectrum of business functions.

The Benefits

Innovation Dataset . A unique and bespoke dataset produced to leverage the objectives and requirements set by BIC.

Efficient Interactivity : Robust user experience enabled an efficient interactive system to deliver fast results.

Slick Interface : Due to the professional yet simple interface, users were more likely to complete the survey.

Interested in working with us? Get in touch to discuss how we can help

In their own words:

" We knew the team at Gavurin would bring a wealth of expertise around data analytics to the party but what really impressed us was their ability to assemble all the expertise required to develop the survey, configure it for online completion and manage the complex back end analytics and reporting requirements. "

Birgitte Andersen, Chief Executive, Big Innovation Centre

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BIC Success Story

By Dominic Moore

December 7, 2022

In Your Hands

Evaluating impacts due to COVID-19 across multiple European and American countries.

We are proud to have worked with some of the biggest brands across the globe, and our Segmentation Research team have helped guide BIC through their own research journey.

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BIC Transcript

The Challenge With a 80-year tradition of providing affordable, high-quality products to customers around the world, BiC is a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers. As part of their corporate social responsibility efforts, BiC wished to undertake a psychological investigation into the impacts of COVID-19 on three pillars – creativity, education and workplace – across three key markets – Brazil, France and the US.

Research Approach Adopting a quantitative approach, Vision One designed three distinct online surveys which included an array of psychological models, such as Social Values, OCEAN and Creative Thinking, to explore behavioural and personality characteristics in relation to creativity, education and workplace in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveys were distributed to diverse audiences in Brazil, France, and the US.

Research Findings

Taking a segmentation approach to analysis using psychological modelling, our research provided: insights into the cultural and psychological aspects affecting the use of stationary in different settings, and strategic and actionable insights into how BiC can help customers overcome the psychological impact of COVID-19 at home, school and work.

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Integrating Iprova’s technology and methods within the BIC organisation is already delivering standout stationary, lighter and shaver inventions

Consumer demand for healthier, more sustainable and personalised products is creating a vast opportunity for FMCG companies to innovate. This is especially true when paired with other societal changes such as the millennial influence and the opportunity to enhance and amplify aspects of the user experience.

As well as creating inventions for FMCG companies, Iprova has also created inventions for companies in other sectors who want to launch products and services which are relevant to FMCG consumers.

Iprova successfully delivered inventions in both the shaver and stationary categories, many of which are being advanced by BIC. Such was the success of these two pilot programs that BIC selected Iprova as the technology provider for the BIC-Iprova Invention Lab to enhance BIC’s Innovation and Research & Development (R&D) capability. This became operational on schedule in the third quarter of 2020 and is already delivering inventions at scale to help drive BIC’s next generation of products.

At BIC we recognize the need to stay ahead of ever-changing consumer demands. The new Invention Lab with Iprova will help us reimagine how we create products that enable consumers to better express themselves and make their lives simpler. Iprova has demonstrated that their technology will enhance BIC’s approach to inventing products that solve the needs of our consumers. That’s why we decided to bring their technology in-house, strengthening BIC’s R&D capability and creating a stream of disruptive and diverse inventions. Thomas Brette Group Insights and Innovation Officer, BIC

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Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management

ISSN : 2053-4620

Article publication date: 8 February 2022

Issue publication date: 13 April 2023

This paper presents a conceptual framework based on a literature review and the findings from an empirical study using data collected from entrepreneurs (business incubatees) over a 15-year period (2004–2019). This paper aim is to discuss and propose areas to consider when (re)designing business incubation.

Design/methodology/approach

The data set is based on the experiences of five different cohorts ( n = 100), each of which spent 18–24 months participating in a start-up programme sponsored by a business incubation centre (BIC) located in Ireland. To add further depth and nuance to this paper’s findings, an expert focus group was undertaken.

The findings highlight the importance of different activities and skills in a BIC over time and recommend the inclusion of a number of activities in a BIC framework. The activities include continued professional development (CPD), action research, participation in a simulation, development of emotional intelligence, leadership skills and mindset and critical reflection.

Practical implications

This paper presents an appropriate conceptual framework for the (re)design of business incubation. The framework facilitates an improved understanding of the evolution of entrepreneurial activities and outcomes associated with engagement with a BIC.

Originality/value

BIC 4.0, as described in this paper, proposes success as multi-faceted and including space, facilities, networks, mentors, professional development, reflective practice, emotional development and engagement with continuous professional development.

• Longitudinal
• Business incubation
• Entrepreneurial activities

Stephens, S. and Lyons, R.M. (2023), "The changing activities of business incubation clients: an Irish case study", Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management , Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 612-625. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTPM-01-2021-0016

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The Battery Innovation Center (BIC) in Newberry, Indiana, has a “boom room” where they can test to failure batteries and see what happens. It’s one of the many unique innovation processes at BIC, which helps government agencies and commercial enterprises develop, prototype, validate, and manufacture cutting-edge energy storage technology for a vast array of applications.

In recent years, helping customers maximize their time at BIC was becoming more difficult. Although BIC employed a technology management company, many infrastructure issues were still fractured, issue laden, and limiting capability. Employees had been working to make the best of the current setups, but did not have the time nor the broader capability to handle the IT issues that were hindering the development and scale-up process and also frustrating clients.

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After the assessment, BIC decided to hire Matrix for several security projects, including installing equipment direct access points, updated virtual servers for lab, camera and badge system, electronic room scheduling kiosk with Microsoft Outlook integration, Cisco Meraki network switching and wireless access points, priority help-desk to ensure IT related items are resolved same call/same day, a roadmap of business and security needs along with future projects; ie: Matrix’s MiConnection solution with a “visual paging” system, which alerts employees of security alerts with different colors of flashing lights in the facility.

After 45 days, the onboarding period led to a smooth transition when the agreement went “live.” Today, all of BICs network infrastructure, including management of the new security systems, is a part of the organization’s MiAssurance agreement with Matrix Integration. Matrix staff members are fully trained on BIC’s needs and manage all their vendors. For example, if BIC has a problem with its database, the BIC employee calls Matrix, and Matrix works with the database vendor to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

In the long-term, Matrix and BIC plan to work together to monitor and manage product lifecycles as well as harden security measures. Overall, BIC is already experiencing benefits such as:

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Innovation Case Study: Mymo

Experienced businessman Craig Downs turned to the Innovation Programme to help bring to market his revolutionary idea – wearable tech that recommends your perfect running shoes. Inspired by a personal passion, mymo was an idea Craig knew solved a real-world problem, but one that pushed him out of his own comfort zone and into the realm of product research and development. He explains how the programme helped him every step of the way.

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mymo measures a runner’s gait and uses an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm to match their running style to the latest shoes on the market. I had the idea after becoming increasingly frustrated after getting injured because I was sold the wrong type of shoes for my own training.

Why did you engage with the Innovation Programme?

I knew I’d identified a real gap in the market but as with all ideas, I knew I needed the right expertise if I was going to really make this happen. The problem is, there is so much advice out there that it can be difficult to know where to start. The Innovation Programme was a shortcut to the right people, the right networks and the most relevant support.

What did you want to achieve when you applied?

I was at the very beginning of designing mymo so I needed help to envisage the entire process of researching, developing and launching the product. Innovation Manager Gillian Middleton explored how the programme could help to maximum effect. I already run a successful communications company but I was acutely aware of the fact that my existing business knowledge didn’t extend to product design and the retail environment. Gillian made sure that didn’t hold me back.

Can you explain how you were supported?

Gillian helped me to access innovation grant funding, tap into expertise and networks and provided me with endless encouragement. Firstly, we split the project into four work packages to manage the work involved and to make the most of the support available. This work included creating a hardware sensor that collects the data, a sock which houses the sensor, an app and content management system and finally AI that translates this data into a recommendation for the user.

I was really keen to make this a product of the North East so wanted to keep any technical collaboration as close to our doorstep as possible. The Innovation Programme provided match funding so I could bring in the support of Northumbria University’s computing science department to develop the algorithm. This is where the magic really happens because it’s where numbers are turned into a practical recommendation to help runners make sense of the confusing array of products that are on the market to find a shoe that’s right for them. The project also resulted in the university publishing an academic paper on the accuracy of the work, which gives customers real confidence in our product.

What was the impact of the programme?

Simply put, it turned an idea into reality. We launched mymo at the end of October 2020 after four years of research and development. If it wasn’t for the referral to the programme from Louise Hardy at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) then I honestly don’t know if we’d have got here! Louise and Gillian helped me to keep focused and believe in my idea and focus on the end goal. The funding really helped when trying to get a new idea off the ground and I couldn’t have done any of it without the right connections.

What’s next for your business? 

We’ve gone live with mymo and the hard work really starts now! Our marketing plans are in full flow and it’s exciting to see sales coming in from runners around the UK. We also have plans to extend mymo into the USA and Europe and have started looking at how we can extend the existing technology into other sports such as hiking and golf.

We’ve just secured external funding to explore how we can adapt mymo for the healthcare market by using two sensors to assess gait and mobility of older people and the ability to identify early intervention and monitoring of any gait abnormality, pathological gait or specific gait deviations. In 2021, we will be undertaking some quantitative research with Northumbria University to work with clinicians and patients to wear our technology at home to collect gait data that clinicians would usually need to gather within a clinical setting. This will not only free-up clinicians’ valuable time but also encourages free living within the home, which aims to avoid stressful and inconvenient clinical appointment where possible. So, what started out as an extension to my running hobby is now leading to a very exciting place that has potential to change the entire direction of my career and even my life.

For more information on mymo visit www.mymo.co.uk

For information on the  Innovation Programme  call the innovation team on 0191 516 6039 or email the team at  [email protected]

The North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) has received £899,250 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund for the North East SME Innovation Programme 2 as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

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This global FMCG wanted to build a direct to consumer channel, involve customers in the innovation process, and design the next generation of shavers, tailored to customer requirements.

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FMCG giant BIC was intent on creating the “Next BIC Thing” in shaving—personalizing the shaving experience for every customer, no matter their skin or hair type.

Utilising the first BIC wet shaver with AI technology, we capture sensor data about the complete shaving experience. Applying Machine Learning on IoT data, BIC can understand which shavers are better suited to each individual.

The company partnered with us to involve customers in the product innovation process from the very beginning. Using Azure technology, we began collecting data from thousands of shaving sessions—effectively crowd-sourcing design and usage insights thanks to thousands of volunteer users—boosting productivity, fueling R&D with ideas and pioneering a new, data-driven strategy for customer-centric care.

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The Danone Case: How Social Innovation Can Help a Multinational Company Reinvent Itself

The ambition to change the world is at the heart of the most innovative entrepreneurial endeavors – be they those of Ford, yesterday, or, today, of Google. Nevertheless, an established company that nurtures such an ambition must also reinvent itself. Today, social business is the new frontier, in that it combines an ambition for development and the conquest of new markets. So, can environmental and social innovations become the levers of a transformation of big companies, not only improving their performance but also contributing to the invention of a new, more sustainable and more inclusive economy? The example of Danone provides a concrete framework to study the initiatives taken by multinational companies from first-world countries to address the low-income populations from emerging countries.

The environmental and social innovations that are emerging today are being met with both enthusiasm and skepticism. Prof. Muhammad Yunus’ “social business” and C.K. Pralahad’s “base of the pyramid”, in particular, are the subject of heated discussions. Some activists see them as the promise of a better tomorrow. Others see it as a cosmetic overlay – a “social green washing” of sorts – that will basically change nothing. But while this debate is far from settled, some answers are emerging already. And probably the best way to tackle the issue is to take a close look on the relevant companies themselves. Some of them have taken the lead on the subject and it is now possible to learn from their experience.

New models are being put to the test 

Let us briefly go over the two major reference models. The first one, “social business,” as defined by Pr. Muhammad Yunus (2010), is business whose “goal is to solve some of the social, economic, and environmental burdens that affect humanity: hunger, lack of housing, health, pollution, ignorance…” Organizations created for this purpose should in principle generate profits; however these profits, in Prof. Yunus’ strict definition, are to be invested back.

Now to the second reference model. The term “base of the pyramid” (sometimes referred to by its acronym BOP) comes from the findings of C. K. Prahalad and S. Hart. It is used to refer to low-income populations; it is also used to describe the economic models devised to give these people access to a number of products and services. The aim is to reconcile the fight against poverty with the profit motive: here, the societal goal converges with the economic objective.

Academic literature, to date, only has unsatisfactory answers to provide to the questions posed in this paper. In the field of Strategy and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), for example, a vast plethora of studies focuses on the why: why should companies adopt a more socially responsible behavior? Is it a mandatory quid pro quo for greater competitiveness?

Few are the studies, however, which focus on the how – that is to say, how the implementation procedures of CSR are actually being carried out. In addition, such finer studies cast new light on the very strategic innovations and overhauls that are giving companies newfound capability to meet the intense societal and environmental challenges faced by our economy.

The authors who have studied the societal models of access to goods and services that either fall in the social business category or in the “base of the pyramid” one have shown a keen interest in their implementation modalities, yet without hesitating to point their limits. However, very few studies have focused on the very stakes these approaches constitute for businesses, or on their transformational potential.

It turns out there is one simple reason for that: so far, very few large companies have really taken the subject seriously. And it is in this context that the Danone case stands out. Over a period of more than a decade (starting in the early 2000s), the company has been launching social business and base of the pyramid projects with the explicit intention of making them a lever of strategic renewal.

It is therefore possible to study this case not in terms of principles and values (i.e. “is Danone true to the values it fosters?”), but from a much more operational angle, relying on the analytical frameworks of strategy specialists (“Have Danone’s choices paved the way for its strategic renewal?”).

The approach developed by Crossan and Bedrow, two strategy researchers, provides an effective analysis framework to understand and evaluate the choices of the agri-food multinational company. Christened “the 4 I’s” (standing for Intuition, Interpretation, Integration, and Institutionalization), this approach makes it possible to analyze the organizational learning process behind the strategic renewal of a company.

Specifically, the goal is to carry out an analysis of the process, to understand how the insights of leaders and of “champions” at Danone (intuition process) have led to social projects (through processes of interpretation and integration), and were able to have more widespread impact on the company (institutionalization process).But this learning process is not limited to a “top down” dissemination of the leaders’ intuitions.

It is also about growing an interest in the skills developed by field managers and employees of Social Business or BOP initiatives, while wondering whether these skills are actually spreading through the organization and if so, along which modalities. Lastly, a basic question has to come to mind: do the skills thusly developed have a strategic character?

At Danone, the answer is yes. Social Business or BOP projects have played a significant role in the process of strategic renewal undertaken by the firm in the early 2000s. Far from being a simple matter of communication, these projects are levers for organizational transformation; provided a few conditions are met that we shall emphasize in this paper.

Manager intuition & field experience

The insights of a few leaders and “champions” constitute the starting point. In the late 1990s, the company, which was then considered a model in termes of CSR, was faced with a challenge that took the leaders by surprise. They perceived there were social and strategic limits to the European “social” company model, which merely set out to treat its employees well. If a company wanted to continue to stand out from the crowd in this field, it had to go beyond its routines and reinvent its practices. The gradual opening of trade borders and access to foreign markets simultaneously led executives to consider major overhauls in the marketing of their products. They saw the need to broaden their target and to no longer confine themselves to the more affluent classes with premium and expensive products.

It is in this context that a few BOP initiatives were attempted at first, which turned out not to be convincing. At that point Danone’s management understood they probably must go beyond the simple adaptation of their products; and social business, which primarily targets the poorest classes, seemed likely to yield disruptive innovations in this direction, even if this meant they had to climb their way upwards inside the pyramid at a later point. Indeed, it induced very strong constraints (very low cost and ambitious poverty reduction goals) and the co-creation that it promoted with new stakeholders (NGOs, local communities) encouraged thinking outside the box.

These intuitions then became the subject of an interpretation endeavor. They were discussed in the steering committee and more widely within the firm, as well as with external stakeholders and experts such as Muhammad Yunus. This maturation stage was to be followed by an integration phase, with the launch of experiences as Grameen Danone in Bangladesh or Lemateki in Senegal.

Grameen Danone Food Limited (GFDL) is a joint venture between Danone and the Grameen Group and is based on the model of social business. GFDL ‘s first product was the shokti doi, a recipe developed to satisfy the taste and nutritional needs of children (one yogurt covers 30 % of their daily requirement of vitamin A, iron, zinc and iodine). The product was first distributed in rural areas, by the so-called shokti ladies, street vendors who received a fixed commission on each sale.

Lemateki is a social business whose goal is to improve the nutrition of Senegalese schoolchildren. It is primarily concerned with improving health and education, and therefore, with advancing equal opportunities for children living in suburban areas. The aim is also to encourage education regarding nutrition and hygiene in schools, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Both these projects were closely scrutinized, leading to new intuitions and interpretations following an iterative process. Leaders and champions notably realized that fresh dairy products – which are Danone’s core business – are not the most suitable products to target people with very low income, all the more in tropical countries. Both the Bangladeshi and Senegalese projects then inspired many other business units in emerging countries, such as Indonesia and India, but also in developed countries (Poland and France), thanks to dynamics of reverse innovation.

The institutionalization of these intuitions was also conducted by:

(1) Developing a strategy to now reach 1 billion consumers and thus to make products more accessible;

(2) Implementing a specific organization, promoting the decentralization of innovation in emerging countries through incubators that brought together local stakeholders and people from headquarters who were sufficiently open-minded to violate in-house standards. At the same time the involvement of leaders in the governance of social projects was institutionalized through the establishment of bodies such as the “Social Innovation Committee”: composed of several of the firm’s leaders, it was the body that made the decision to launch various social projects;

(3) The definition of processes, especially in the field of Human Resources, assessment procedures and knowledge management. Of particular note was an initiative called “For All Track”: it gave Danone managers the opportunity to spend two weeks, or one month, or six months, etc., in the field, for social business projects. Incentive systems were also of critical importance: for example, executive bonuses got to be calculated on the basis of one third (1/3 economic, 1/3 third managerial, 1/3 societal).

In terms of knowledge management, several leverage mechanisms were implemented. “Social innovation labs”, once a year, reunited the people involved in social business projects and the base of the pyramid, along with other stakeholders in the industry and NGO representatives. These reunions enabled the exchange of practices. Strategic thinking seminars were facilitated within subsidiary executive committees by a team from the headquarters. Lastly, a true social network, both internal and external, was built around Danone communities: 30% of French employees invested in shares of the Danone communities mutual fund, and thus the Annual General Meeting of Danone communities, which takes place the same day as the General Meeting of shareholders, regularly reunites over 1000 people.

Intertwined with this top-down dissemination of insights formulated at the highest level is a bottom-up approach, coming from the field and led in the mindset of an experiment: it consists in the emergence of new individual skills which proceed to become collective and eventually organizational. This is a pivotal point: the strategic vision and the top-down process explained above are a necessary but not sufficient condition for the transformation of the company, especially in a relatively decentralized company like Danone. It is in the field that profound changes in the representations, behaviors and practices are taking place and being experimented with. At individual level, the development of truly new skills can be observed in terms both of know-how and soft skills, especially among employees directly involved with the projects. At first, this translates into a true unlearning phase.

New know-how and new soft skills 

The models developed by Danone, such as Grameen Danone in Bangladesh or Lemateki in Senegal, are veritable disruptive innovation labs that radically challenge the entire value chain.

At R&D level, radically new products were developed or industrialized, such as yogurt enriched with nutrients in Bangladesh, or the “pouch,” a kind of carton composed of local grain and a little milk, whose rare feat is that it can be stored at room temperature, in Senegal, thanks to the invention of an innovative and frugal method, which is extremely energy-efficient.

The supply chain also underwent a small revolution with the implementation of a local resource supply (in milk and cereal) and with the local distribution of products, notably through a network of rickshaws and the “shokti ladies” who sell products door-to-door.

At the industrial level, an equally revolutionary concept – the micro-factory, or even, the container factory – was introduced. It was associated with a model of efficient capital development. The use of renewable energies such as “bio-digesters” was also sought after.

Finally, innovative financing was implemented, such as solidarity-based employee savings and the Danone communities mutual fund, or new investing guarantee schemes created for the occasion by the French Development Agency which consisted in covering 50% of any impairment losses incurred by Social Business projects. These new skills, which concern both the firm’s organization as a whole and its individuals, were coupled with new soft skills based on equally new representations.

The stakeholders thus began by unlearning, by questioning their ways of thinking and acting. Coming from a behavior focused on products, in search of ever greater sophistication and somehow disconnected with reality and with consumers, they learned to observe, listen, and once more immerse themselves into actualities. They inverted the approach and gave it a fresh start – this time deriving from the needs, expectations, habits and constraints of individuals so as to design often simpler and better tailored offers.

They thus understood that they knew very little about the world of low-income consumers, and that it is also was important to co-create with them and with stakeholders close to them (NGOs, associations). At the origin of Social Business initiatives, the partnership with Grameen Bank was decisive: it is the one that put Danone employees in touch with poor consumers in Bangladesh and has been a major driver of disruptive innovation. Professor Yunus, founder of Grameen, was actually the one to suggest a relocated model to the leaders of Danone, based on small production units, with a double objective – to fight malnutrition, and to create jobs.

People at Danone went from simply carrying out orders to discovering they also could become entrepreneurs (or “intrapreneurs”), capable of acting creatively despite limited resources – in a much more frugal mode but with energy increased tenfold… because, in their new action, they found meaning that was hitherto missing. Lastly, a different relationship with time itself emerged as well: the rediscovery of lenghty time. For the law of “always faster” no longer works in such contexts. The hyper efficiency attitude gave way to a more patient and modest behavior.

Beyond the projects, a company that reinvents itself

These new individual skills could have been limited to a few of the projects’ personnel – those directly involved in the field – and at the end of the day, could have had but a minute impact on the organization as a whole. However, by observing the company for over a decade, one realizes these skills gradually transformed into collective skills (at group level) and organizational ones (at firm structure level).

Especially worthy of note was the renewed capacity of the company as a whole to focus on consumer needs, in a quest for accessibility and simplicity, rather than perpetually seeking to increase the sophistication of products. But also, a new skill in terms of supply and distribution, and in particular concerning last-mile delivery. Also notable were, first, the enabling of co-creation with external stakeholders, such as Grameen or the NGO Care, and secondly, the ability to develop disruptive business models, with low capital intensity.

In turn, emerging from these collective capabilities, two organizational skills appeared: the capacity to design disruptive products, henceforth able to reach all of the pyramid, and not just its wealthier classes; and the ability to handle a certain ambiguity between the societal and the strategic approach – and to turn this very ambiguity into a lever for competitiveness.

The transition from individual to collective and then organizational skills stems from a bottom-up process of sharing best practices, a pollination of sorts. Such pollination involves an element of spontaneity: employees have many natural opportunities to share their experience; and from this, they gradually get to form a social network.

In parallel, this pollination is also organized as a factor of the multiplication of experiments and other measures of Knowledge Management type, and then refers to more top-down processes described earlier in the institutionalization process. It also greatly depends on the strategic intent of the leaders.

Keys to success

A number of key factors can henceforth be identified to understand the success of this strategic renewal.

Firstly, a strong consensus, within the executive team, around strategic renewal and around what is at stake behind societal projects. Secondly, swiftly putting experiments into practice so as to materialize the initial intuitions; and then, the implementation of levers towards the institutionalization of such practices. Worthy of notice is a relatively decentralized organization, which promotes field innovation, data reporting and the dissemination of innovations. Among these levers, a human resources policy that actively contributes to strategic renewal by all the means at its disposal: through recruitment, career management, calculation of bonuses and training. This policy also includes the recognition of skills acquired in-house through social business and BOP projects, as well as processes to formalize and disseminate training.

Another key factor of success, which is pivotal for strategic renewal, is none other than the acceptance and acknowledgement of a long training time. This is a major challenge for a publicly traded multinational company, a priori subject to the law of short term and to the vagaries of markets, but all the more necessary given that these social business and BOP initiatives are precisely inducing true paradigm shifts and disruptions.

Danone’s experience allows to measure the underlying transformative potential of societal projects of access to goods and services, of a confrontation with the reality of poverty and of the implementation of initiatives for and with people with low income.

The direct economic impact of the first projects undertaken by the Danone group, such as the social businesses in Bangladesh and Senegal is still limited, both in terms of social impact and of the profitability for the subsidiaries concerned: the learning time required to achieve breakeven results is longer than expected. The challenge, however, is broader. What is at stake is the very role of that transformational lever: to reconnect with the actual needs of low-income populations, and, with them, to devise a novel approach of co-creation, and more frugal and entrepreneurial action modes. All in all, to bring about a reality check.

The Danone case shows a number of disruptions in the representations and behavior of its stakeholders. In particular, among the committed individuals that work in the field of SB and BOP projects, a new relationship emerges at once towards economic activity, the fellow man or woman, oneself, and even time. And these developments can spread throughout a whole firm’s organization by a number of processes, be they bottom-up, top-down, or of a pollination type… provided that company leaders know how to stay the course, keeping their sights on strategic renewal, beyond the ebbs and flows of conjuncture and market pressures.

Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot is Education Track Associate Professor of Strategy at HEC Paris. She is the Executive Director of the Society &...

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Learning together for better health using an evidence-based Learning Health System framework: a case study in stroke

• Helena Teede 1 , 2   na1 ,
• Dominique A. Cadilhac 3 , 4   na1 ,
• Tara Purvis 3 ,
• Monique F. Kilkenny 3 , 4 ,
• Bruce C.V. Campbell 4 , 5 , 6 ,
• Coralie English 7 ,
• Alison Johnson 2 ,
• Emily Callander 1 ,
• Rohan S. Grimley 8 , 9 ,
• Christopher Levi 10 ,
• Sandy Middleton 11 , 12 ,
• Kelvin Hill 13 &
• Joanne Enticott   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4480-5690 1  

BMC Medicine volume  22 , Article number:  198 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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In the context of expanding digital health tools, the health system is ready for Learning Health System (LHS) models. These models, with proper governance and stakeholder engagement, enable the integration of digital infrastructure to provide feedback to all relevant parties including clinicians and consumers on performance against best practice standards, as well as fostering innovation and aligning healthcare with patient needs. The LHS literature primarily includes opinion or consensus-based frameworks and lacks validation or evidence of benefit. Our aim was to outline a rigorously codesigned, evidence-based LHS framework and present a national case study of an LHS-aligned national stroke program that has delivered clinical benefit.

Current core components of a LHS involve capturing evidence from communities and stakeholders (quadrant 1), integrating evidence from research findings (quadrant 2), leveraging evidence from data and practice (quadrant 3), and generating evidence from implementation (quadrant 4) for iterative system-level improvement. The Australian Stroke program was selected as the case study as it provides an exemplar of how an iterative LHS works in practice at a national level encompassing and integrating evidence from all four LHS quadrants. Using this case study, we demonstrate how to apply evidence-based processes to healthcare improvement and embed real-world research for optimising healthcare improvement. We emphasize the transition from research as an endpoint, to research as an enabler and a solution for impact in healthcare improvement.

Conclusions

The Australian Stroke program has nationally improved stroke care since 2007, showcasing the value of integrated LHS-aligned approaches for tangible impact on outcomes. This LHS case study is a practical example for other health conditions and settings to follow suit.

Peer Review reports

Internationally, health systems are facing a crisis, driven by an ageing population, increasing complexity, multi-morbidity, rapidly advancing health technology and rising costs that threaten sustainability and mandate transformation and improvement [ 1 , 2 ]. Although research has generated solutions to healthcare challenges, and the advent of big data and digital health holds great promise, entrenched siloes and poor integration of knowledge generation, knowledge implementation and healthcare delivery between stakeholders, curtails momentum towards, and consistent attainment of, evidence-and value-based care [ 3 ]. This is compounded by the short supply of research and innovation leadership within the healthcare sector, and poorly integrated and often inaccessible health data systems, which have crippled the potential to deliver on digital-driven innovation [ 4 ]. Current approaches to healthcare improvement are also often isolated with limited sustainability, scale-up and impact [ 5 ].

Evidence suggests that integration and partnership across academic and healthcare delivery stakeholders are key to progress, including those with lived experience and their families (referred to here as consumers and community), diverse disciplines (both research and clinical), policy makers and funders. Utilization of evidence from research and evidence from practice including data from routine care, supported by implementation research, are key to sustainably embedding improvement and optimising health care and outcomes. A strategy to achieve this integration is through the Learning Health System (LHS) (Fig.  1 ) [ 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Although there are numerous publications on LHS approaches [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ], many focus on research perspectives and data, most do not demonstrate tangible healthcare improvement or better health outcomes. [ 6 ]

Monash Learning Health System: The Learn Together for Better Health Framework developed by Monash Partners and Monash University (from Enticott et al. 2021 [ 7 ]). Four evidence quadrants: Q1 (orange) is evidence from stakeholders; Q2 (green) is evidence from research; Q3 (light blue) is evidence from data; and, Q4 (dark blue) is evidence from implementation and healthcare improvement

In developed nations, it has been estimated that 60% of care provided aligns with the evidence base, 30% is low value and 10% is potentially harmful [ 13 ]. In some areas, clinical advances have been rapid and research and evidence have paved the way for dramatic improvement in outcomes, mandating rapid implementation of evidence into healthcare (e.g. polio and COVID-19 vaccines). However, healthcare improvement is challenging and slow [ 5 ]. Health systems are highly complex in their design, networks and interacting components, and change is difficult to enact, sustain and scale up. [ 3 ] New effective strategies are needed to meet community needs and deliver evidence-based and value-based care, which reorients care from serving the provider, services and system, towards serving community needs, based on evidence and quality. It goes beyond cost to encompass patient and provider experience, quality care and outcomes, efficiency and sustainability [ 2 , 6 ].

The costs of stroke care are expected to rise rapidly in the next decades, unless improvements in stroke care to reduce the disabling effects of strokes can be successfully developed and implemented [ 14 ]. Here, we briefly describe the Monash LHS framework (Fig.  1 ) [ 2 , 6 , 7 ] and outline an exemplar case in order to demonstrate how to apply evidence-based processes to healthcare improvement and embed real-world research for optimising healthcare. The Australian LHS exemplar in stroke care has driven nationwide improvement in stroke care since 2007.

An evidence-based Learning Health System framework

In Australia, members of this author group (HT, AJ, JE) have rigorously co-developed an evidence-based LHS framework, known simply as the Monash LHS [ 7 ]. The Monash LHS was designed to support sustainable, iterative and continuous robust benefit of improved clinical outcomes. It was created with national engagement in order to be applicable to Australian settings. Through this rigorous approach, core LHS principles and components have been established (Fig.  1 ). Evidence shows that people/workforce, culture, standards, governance and resources were all key to an effective LHS [ 2 , 6 ]. Culture is vital including trust, transparency, partnership and co-design. Key processes include legally compliant data sharing, linkage and governance, resources, and infrastructure [ 4 ]. The Monash LHS integrates disparate and often siloed stakeholders, infrastructure and expertise to ‘Learn Together for Better Health’ [ 7 ] (Fig.  1 ). This integrates (i) evidence from community and stakeholders including priority areas and outcomes; (ii) evidence from research and guidelines; (iii) evidence from practice (from data) with advanced analytics and benchmarking; and (iv) evidence from implementation science and health economics. Importantly, it starts with the problem and priorities of key stakeholders including the community, health professionals and services and creates an iterative learning system to address these. The following case study was chosen as it is an exemplar of how a Monash LHS-aligned national stroke program has delivered clinical benefit.

Australian Stroke Learning Health System

Internationally, the application of LHS approaches in stroke has resulted in improved stroke care and outcomes [ 12 ]. For example, in Canada a sustained decrease in 30-day in-hospital mortality has been found commensurate with an increase in resources to establish the multifactorial stroke system intervention for stroke treatment and prevention [ 15 ]. Arguably, with rapid advances in evidence and in the context of an ageing population with high cost and care burden and substantive impacts on quality of life, stroke is an area with a need for rapid research translation into evidence-based and value-based healthcare improvement. However, a recent systematic review found that the existing literature had few comprehensive examples of LHS adoption [ 12 ]. Although healthcare improvement systems and approaches were described, less is known about patient-clinician and stakeholder engagement, governance and culture, or embedding of data informatics into everyday practice to inform and drive improvement [ 12 ]. For example, in a recent review of quality improvement collaborations, it was found that although clinical processes in stroke care are improved, their short-term nature means there is uncertainty about sustainability and impacts on patient outcomes [ 16 ]. Table  1 provides the main features of the Australian Stroke LHS based on the four core domains and eight elements of the Learning Together for Better Health Framework described in Fig.  1 . The features are further expanded on in the following sections.

Evidence from stakeholders (LHS quadrant 1, Fig.  1 )

Engagement, partners and priorities.

Within the stroke field, there have been various support mechanisms to facilitate an LHS approach including partnership and broad stakeholder engagement that includes clinical networks and policy makers from different jurisdictions. Since 2008, the Australian Stroke Coalition has been co-led by the Stroke Foundation, a charitable consumer advocacy organisation, and Stroke Society of Australasia a professional society with membership covering academics and multidisciplinary clinician networks, that are collectively working to improve stroke care ( https://australianstrokecoalition.org.au/ ). Surveys, focus groups and workshops have been used for identifying priorities from stakeholders. Recent agreed priorities have been to improve stroke care and strengthen the voice for stroke care at a national ( https://strokefoundation.org.au/ ) and international level ( https://www.world-stroke.org/news-and-blog/news/world-stroke-organization-tackle-gaps-in-access-to-quality-stroke-care ), as well as reduce duplication amongst stakeholders. This activity is built on a foundation and culture of research and innovation embedded within the stroke ‘community of practice’. Consumers, as people with lived experience of stroke are important members of the Australian Stroke Coalition, as well as representatives from different clinical colleges. Consumers also provide critical input to a range of LHS activities via the Stroke Foundation Consumer Council, Stroke Living Guidelines committees, and the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR) Steering Committee (described below).

Evidence from research (LHS quadrant 2, Fig.  1 )

Advancement of the evidence for stroke interventions and synthesis into clinical guidelines.

To implement best practice, it is crucial to distil the large volume of scientific and trial literature into actionable recommendations for clinicians to use in practice [ 24 ]. The first Australian clinical guidelines for acute stroke were produced in 2003 following the increasing evidence emerging for prevention interventions (e.g. carotid endarterectomy, blood pressure lowering), acute medical treatments (intravenous thrombolysis, aspirin within 48 h of ischemic stroke), and optimised hospital management (care in dedicated stroke units by a specialised and coordinated multidisciplinary team) [ 25 ]. Importantly, a number of the innovations were developed, researched and proven effective by key opinion leaders embedded in the Australian stroke care community. In 2005, the clinical guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery [ 26 ] were produced, with subsequent merged guidelines periodically updated. However, the traditional process of periodic guideline updates is challenging for end users when new research can render recommendations redundant and this lack of currency erodes stakeholder trust [ 27 ]. In response to this challenge the Stroke Foundation and Cochrane Australia entered a pioneering project to produce the first electronic ‘living’ guidelines globally [ 20 ]. Major shifts in the evidence for reperfusion therapies (e.g. extended time-window intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular clot retrieval), among other advances, were able to be converted into new recommendations, approved by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council within a few months of publication. Feedback on this process confirmed the increased use and trust in the guidelines by clinicians. The process informed other living guidelines programs, including the successful COVID-19 clinical guidelines [ 28 ].

However, best practice clinical guideline recommendations are necessary but insufficient for healthcare improvement and nesting these within an LHS with stakeholder partnership, enables implementation via a range of proven methods, including audit and feedback strategies [ 29 ].

Evidence from data and practice (LHS quadrant 3, Fig.  1 )

Data systems and benchmarking : revealing the disparities in care between health services. A national system for standardized stroke data collection was established as the National Stroke Audit program in 2007 by the Stroke Foundation [ 30 ] following various state-level programs (e.g. New South Wales Audit) [ 31 ] to identify evidence-practice gaps and prioritise improvement efforts to increase access to stroke units and other acute treatments [ 32 ]. The Audit program alternates each year between acute (commencing in 2007) and rehabilitation in-patient services (commencing in 2008). The Audit program provides a ‘deep dive’ on the majority of recommendations in the clinical guidelines whereby participating hospitals provide audits of up to 40 consecutive patient medical records and respond to a survey about organizational resources to manage stroke. In 2009, the AuSCR was established to provide information on patients managed in acute hospitals based on a small subset of quality processes of care linked to benchmarked reports of performance (Fig.  2 ) [ 33 ]. In this way, the continuous collection of high-priority processes of stroke care could be regularly collected and reviewed to guide improvement to care [ 34 ]. Plus clinical quality registry programs within Australia have shown a meaningful return on investment attributed to enhanced survival, improvements in quality of life and avoided costs of treatment or hospital stay [ 35 ].

Example performance report from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry: average door-to-needle time in providing intravenous thrombolysis by different hospitals in 2021 [ 36 ]. Each bar in the figure represents a single hospital

The Australian Stroke Coalition endorsed the creation of an integrated technological solution for collecting data through a single portal for multiple programs in 2013. In 2015, the Stroke Foundation, AuSCR consortium, and other relevant groups cooperated to design an integrated data management platform (the Australian Stroke Data Tool) to reduce duplication of effort for hospital staff in the collection of overlapping variables in the same patients [ 19 ]. Importantly, a national data dictionary then provided the common data definitions to facilitate standardized data capture. Another important feature of AuSCR is the collection of patient-reported outcome surveys between 90 and 180 days after stroke, and annual linkage with national death records to ascertain survival status [ 33 ]. To support a LHS approach, hospitals that participate in AuSCR have access to a range of real-time performance reports. In efforts to minimize the burden of data collection in the AuSCR, interoperability approaches to import data directly from hospital or state-level managed stroke databases have been established (Fig.  3 ); however, the application has been variable and 41% of hospitals still manually enter all their data.

Current status of automated data importing solutions in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry, 2022, with ‘ n ’ representing the number of hospitals. AuSCR, Australian Stroke Clinical Registry; AuSDaT, Australian Stroke Data Tool; API, Application Programming Interface; ICD, International Classification of Diseases; RedCAP, Research Electronic Data Capture; eMR, electronic medical records

For acute stroke care, the Australian Commission on Quality and Safety in Health Care facilitated the co-design (clinicians, academics, consumers) and publication of the national Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard in 2015 [ 17 ], and subsequent review [ 18 ]. The indicator set for the Acute Stroke Standard then informed the expansion of the minimum dataset for AuSCR so that hospitals could routinely track their performance. The national Audit program enabled hospitals not involved in the AuSCR to assess their performance every two years against the Acute Stroke Standard. Complementing these efforts, the Stroke Foundation, working with the sector, developed the Acute and Rehabilitation Stroke Services Frameworks to outline the principles, essential elements, models of care and staffing recommendations for stroke services ( https://informme.org.au/guidelines/national-stroke-services-frameworks ). The Frameworks are intended to guide where stroke services should be developed, and monitor their uptake with the organizational survey component of the Audit program.

Evidence from implementation and healthcare improvement (LHS quadrant 4, Fig.  1 )

Research to better utilize and augment data from registries through linkage [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ] and to ensure presentation of hospital or service level data are understood by clinicians has ensured advancement in the field for the Australian Stroke LHS [ 41 ]. Importantly, greater insights into whole patient journeys, before and after a stroke, can now enable exploration of value-based care. The LHS and stroke data platform have enabled focused and time-limited projects to create a better understanding of the quality of care in acute or rehabilitation settings [ 22 , 42 , 43 ]. Within stroke, all the elements of an LHS culminate into the ready availability of benchmarked performance data and support for implementation of strategies to address gaps in care.

Implementation research to grow the evidence base for effective improvement interventions has also been a key pillar in the Australian context. These include multi-component implementation interventions to achieve behaviour change for particular aspects of stroke care, [ 22 , 23 , 44 , 45 ] and real-world approaches to augmenting access to hyperacute interventions in stroke through the use of technology and telehealth [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ]. The evidence from these studies feeds into the living guidelines program and the data collection systems, such as the Audit program or AuSCR, which are then amended to ensure data aligns to recommended care. For example, the use of ‘hyperacute aspirin within the first 48 h of ischemic stroke’ was modified to be ‘hyperacute antiplatelet…’ to incorporate new evidence that other medications or combinations are appropriate to use. Additionally, new datasets have been developed to align with evidence such as the Fever, Sugar, and Swallow variables [ 42 ]. Evidence on improvements in access to best practice care from the acute Audit program [ 50 ] and AuSCR is emerging [ 36 ]. For example, between 2007 and 2017, the odds of receiving intravenous thrombolysis after ischemic stroke increased by 16% 9OR 1.06 95% CI 1.13–1.18) and being managed in a stroke unit by 18% (OR 1.18 95% CI 1.17–1.20). Over this period, the median length of hospital stay for all patients decreased from 6.3 days in 2007 to 5.0 days in 2017 [ 51 ]. When considering the number of additional patients who would receive treatment in 2017 in comparison to 2007 it was estimated that without this additional treatment, over 17,000 healthy years of life would be lost in 2017 (17,786 disability-adjusted life years) [ 51 ]. There is evidence on the cost-effectiveness of different system-focussed strategies to augment treatment access for acute ischemic stroke (e.g. Victorian Stroke Telemedicine program [ 52 ] and Melbourne Mobile Stroke Unit ambulance [ 53 ]). Reciprocally, evidence from the national Rehabilitation Audit, where the LHS approach has been less complete or embedded, has shown fewer areas of healthcare improvement over time [ 51 , 54 ].

Within the field of stroke in Australia, there is indirect evidence that the collective efforts that align to establishing the components of a LHS have had an impact. Overall, the age-standardised rate of stroke events has reduced by 27% between 2001 and 2020, from 169 to 124 events per 100,000 population. Substantial declines in mortality rates have been reported since 1980. Commensurate with national clinical guidelines being updated in 2007 and the first National Stroke Audit being undertaken in 2007, the mortality rates for men (37.4 deaths per 100,000) and women (36.1 deaths per 100,0000 has declined to 23.8 and 23.9 per 100,000, respectively in 2021 [ 55 ].

Underpinning the LHS with the integration of the four quadrants of evidence from stakeholders, research and guidelines, practice and implementation, and core LHS principles have been addressed. Leadership and governance have been important, and programs have been established to augment workforce training and capacity building in best practice professional development. Medical practitioners are able to undertake courses and mentoring through the Australasian Stroke Academy ( http://www.strokeacademy.com.au/ ) while nurses (and other health professionals) can access teaching modules in stroke care from the Acute Stroke Nurses Education Network ( https://asnen.org/ ). The Association of Neurovascular Clinicians offers distance-accessible education and certification to develop stroke expertise for interdisciplinary professionals, including advanced stroke co-ordinator certification ( www.anvc.org ). Consumer initiative interventions are also used in the design of the AuSCR Public Summary Annual reports (available at https://auscr.com.au/about/annual-reports/ ) and consumer-related resources related to the Living Guidelines ( https://enableme.org.au/resources ).

The important success factors and lessons from stroke as a national exemplar LHS in Australia include leadership, culture, workforce and resources integrated with (1) established and broad partnerships across the academic-clinical sector divide and stakeholder engagement; (2) the living guidelines program; (3) national data infrastructure, including a national data dictionary that provides the common data framework to support standardized data capture; (4) various implementation strategies including benchmarking and feedback as well as engagement strategies targeting different levels of the health system; and (5) implementation and improvement research to advance stroke systems of care and reduce unwarranted variation in practice (Fig.  1 ). Priority opportunities now include the advancement of interoperability with electronic medical records as an area all clinical quality registry’s programs needs to be addressed, as well as providing more dynamic and interactive data dashboards tailored to the need of clinicians and health service executives.

There is a clear mandate to optimise healthcare improvement with big data offering major opportunities for change. However, we have lacked the approaches to capture evidence from the community and stakeholders, to integrate evidence from research, to capture and leverage data or evidence from practice and to generate and build on evidence from implementation using iterative system-level improvement. The LHS provides this opportunity and is shown to deliver impact. Here, we have outlined the process applied to generate an evidence-based LHS and provide a leading exemplar in stroke care. This highlights the value of moving from single-focus isolated approaches/initiatives to healthcare improvement and the benefit of integration to deliver demonstrable outcomes for our funders and key stakeholders — our community. This work provides insight into strategies that can both apply evidence-based processes to healthcare improvement as well as implementing evidence-based practices into care, moving beyond research as an endpoint, to research as an enabler, underpinning delivery of better healthcare.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable

Abbreviations

Australian Stroke Clinical Registry

Confidence interval

• Learning Health System

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Acknowledgements

The following authors hold National Health and Medical Research Council Research Fellowships: HT (#2009326), DAC (#1154273), SM (#1196352), MFK Future Leader Research Fellowship (National Heart Foundation #105737). The Funders of this work did not have any direct role in the design of the study, its execution, analyses, interpretation of the data, or decision to submit results for publication.

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Helena Teede and Dominique A. Cadilhac contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, 43-51 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, VIC, Australia

Helena Teede, Emily Callander & Joanne Enticott

Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre, 43-51 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, VIC, Australia

Helena Teede & Alison Johnson

Stroke and Ageing Research, Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Level 2 Monash University Research, Victorian Heart Hospital, 631 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, VIC, Australia

Dominique A. Cadilhac, Tara Purvis & Monique F. Kilkenny

Stroke Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia

Dominique A. Cadilhac, Monique F. Kilkenny & Bruce C.V. Campbell

Department of Neurology, Melbourne Brain Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia

Bruce C.V. Campbell

Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

School of Health Sciences, Heart and Stroke Program, University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia

Coralie English

School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Birtinya, QLD, Australia

Rohan S. Grimley

Clinical Excellence Division, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia

John Hunter Hospital, Hunter New England Local Health District and University of Newcastle, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Christopher Levi

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Sandy Middleton

Nursing Research Institute, St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney and and Australian Catholic University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Stroke Foundation, Level 7, 461 Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

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Contributions

HT: conception, design and initial draft, developed the theoretical formalism for learning health system framework, approved the submitted version. DAC: conception, design and initial draft, provided essential literature and case study examples, approved the submitted version. TP: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, approved the submitted version. MFK: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, provided essential literature and case study examples, approved the submitted version. BC: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, provided essential literature and case study examples, approved the submitted version. CE: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, provided essential literature and case study examples, approved the submitted version. AJ: conception, design and initial draft, developed the theoretical formalism for learning health system framework, approved the submitted version. EC: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, approved the submitted version. RSG: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, provided essential literature and case study examples, approved the submitted version. CL: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, provided essential literature and case study examples, approved the submitted version. SM: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, provided essential literature and case study examples, approved the submitted version. KH: revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, provided essential literature and case study examples, approved the submitted version. JE: conception, design and initial draft, developed the theoretical formalism for learning health system framework, approved the submitted version. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Teede, H., Cadilhac, D.A., Purvis, T. et al. Learning together for better health using an evidence-based Learning Health System framework: a case study in stroke. BMC Med 22 , 198 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03416-w

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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

The seven sets of case studies showcased here feature examples of the most innovative work and legal services that lawyers have developed in the Asia-Pacific region for clients, whether operating in the region or globally.

All of the case studies were researched, compiled and ranked by RSGI. “Winner” indicates that the organisation won an FT Innovative Lawyers Asia-Pacific award for 2024.

Read the other FT Innovative Lawyers Asia-Pacific ‘Best practice case studies’, which showcase the standout innovations made for and by people working in the legal sector:

Business of law In-house

Unlocking capital

Winner: Linklaters Originality: 9; Leadership: 8; Impact: 8; Total: 25 The firm helped advise on the creation of Swap Connect, which allows international investors to tap into China’s onshore interest rate swap market via links with Hong Kong. The initiative, launched May 2023 with the backing of Chinese President Xi Jinping, aims to support Hong Kong as a financial trading hub while delivering a bigger and more efficient derivatives market for China’s own domestic market. It follows the creation of similar “Connect” programmes for stocks and bonds. Lawyers at the firm advised bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing on the design of the Swap Connect clearing link agreement, which allows foreign investors to remotely trade and clear renminbi interest rate swaps to hedge their debt exposure.

A&O Shearman O: 8; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 24 The firm helped China-backed telecoms company Dito Telecommunity secure a 15-year $3.9bn loan arrangement to fund the rollout of its telecoms network in the Philippines. The long-term financing deal, struck last September, was supported by a group of international banks. The funds raised are to pay for expansion of the network — the launch of which, in 2021, was backed by former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte, in an attempt to challenge the historic duopoly of the country’s two dominant suppliers.

Sullivan & Cromwell O: 8; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 24 The firm advised Japan’s SoftBank on last September’s initial public offering of its UK chip designer, Arm, in the US. The lawyers helped SoftBank acquire an additional 25 per cent of Arm from its Saudi-backed investment partner Vision Fund to obtain full control of Arm ahead of the flotation, which then saw the Japanese company retain 90 per cent of the business while raising about $5bn.

Highly commended

Dechert O: 7; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 23 The firm advised ACEN, the energy arm of Philippines conglomerate Ayala, on securing project finance for its 24 per cent stake in the $1bn 600-megawatt Monsoon Wind development in Laos. Work has begun on installation of the wind farm, which will export generated electricity to Vietnam under a 25-year offtake agreement.

Hogan Lovells O: 7; L: 7; I: 7; Total: 21 The firm helped Indian car parts maker Samvardhana Motherson International acquire an 81 per cent stake in Japan’s Yachiyo Industry, a subsidiary of Honda Motor. The deal required Honda to buy out minority shareholders in the Tokyo-listed company to allow it to be taken private, with Honda maintaining a minority stake.

Allen & Gledhill O: 7; L: 6; I: 6; Total: 19 The firm acted as Singapore adviser to Bayfront Infrastructure Capital on the complex launch, last September, of infrastructure asset-backed securities valued at $410mn. It worked alongside international counsel Latham & Watkins. The transaction was the fourth such issuance by Bayfront.

Deacons O: 7; L: 6; I: 6; Total: 19 The firm advised asset manager BEA Union Investment on the reclassification of its Asian bond fund as an impact fund last July. The changes, authorised by Hong Kong regulators, will see the renamed Asia Impact Bond Fund primarily invest in bonds backing environmental and social improvement projects.

Responsible business

Winner: Trilegal Originality: 9; Leadership: 8; Impact: 8; Total: 25 The firm advised the education charity SGBS Unnati Foundation on becoming the first organisation to list on India’s Social Stock Exchange in December. The government-sponsored platform — created last year as a sub-category within India’s existing stock exchanges — is designed to help charities and other social enterprises subject to its oversight to raise funds, by strengthening confidence among potential donors and investors.

The lawyers advised Unnati on meeting regulatory conditions to launch the debut fundraising on the exchange, which secured Rs2 crore ($240,000) to finance training for 10,000 underprivileged young people.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer O: 8; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 24 The pro bono team helped the Hong Kong branch of global children’s charity Plan International to create a safeguarding framework for kindergartens, in 2023. The lawyers advised on the compilation of guidelines, which have been circulated to more than 1,000 kindergartens via a manual and e-learning platform for free.

The initiative also offers tests and accreditation to caregivers. The lack of official guidance on safeguarding had recently been highlighted, publicly, by cases such the prosecution of 34 staff for mistreatment of children in a care home.

Gilbert + Tobin O: 7; L: 10; I: 7; Total: 24 The firm supported the Yes23 campaign, which sought improved constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through Australia’s 2023 “Voice” referendum. Gilbert +Tobin’s co-founder and chair, Danny Gilbert, co-chaired one of the leading groups campaigning for the change, and the firm helped with fundraising, hosting meetings, and providing administrative and legal support. Early support faded as the proposal failed to secure the majorities required to pass despite government support, but 40 per cent of Australians supported the campaign.

DLA Piper O: 7; L: 8; I: 7; Total: 22 Lawyers at the firm have represented East Timor pro bono at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and, subsequently, the International Court of Justice to argue for mitigations over the impact of climate change.

The firm advocated for obligations on other states that would still protect the right of East Timor and other small island developing countries to further industrial development, as part of a fairer global transition to net zero greenhouse emissions.

Lander & Rogers O: 7; L: 8; I: 6; Total: 21 As one of the first Australian law firms to commit itself to achieving net zero emissions by 2030, Lander & Rogers supported several initiatives under its “climate and just transition” pro bono programme. Efforts included seconding law firm staff to a number of climate activist and litigation organisations to work pro bono.

Morrison Foerster O: 5; L: 6; I: 8; Total: 19 Marcia Ellis, global co-chair of the firm’s private equity office, worked with a team of associates to support Justice Centre Hong Kong, a charity that advises refugees and asylum seekers. They worked together to develop a public database of case law covering detention of immigrants in the territory. Since its launch in June 2023, the resource has been used by Justice Centre staff, researchers, other campaign groups and immigration lawyers.

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu O: 6; L: 7; I: 6; Total: 19 Tokyo English Language Lifeline (Tell), a Japanese philanthropic organisation offering mental health support, was considering closing one of its clinics because rules governing its prescription of medicines looked too ambiguous. But the law firm secured a clarification from regulators that meant it could continue to operate.

Dispute resolution

Winner: MinterEllison Originality: 8; Leadership: 8; Impact: 10; Total: 26 The firm successfully defended Australian media company Nine Entertainment and investigative journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters in a protracted, high-profile, and politically contentious case when they were sued for defamation by Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith.

In June, the Federal Court found that the lawyers had substantially proved the truth of the allegations contained in articles from 2018 that Roberts-Smith had committed war crimes, including the killing of unarmed civilians in Afghanistan. The lawyers also dealt with challenging secrecy requirements relating to documents and witness testimony.

Hogan Lovells O: 8; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 24 The firm helped Lego sue Chinese competitor Longteng for infringement of the Danish toymaker’s copyright. The lawyers persuaded a Chinese court to make a judgment based on inspection of a sample of 54 units out of 1.6mn boxes of seized goods. In December, the court in Shanghai ordered Longteng to pay Rmb600mn ($83mn) to Lego and sentenced five individuals to up to nine years in prison.

Numen Law Offices O: 7; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 23 Lawyers persuaded the High Court of Kerala to issue guidelines for tighter handling of sexually explicit evidence by law enforcement agencies and state courts. The move came after illegal access was gained to visual evidence during proceedings that followed the assault of the firm’s client, Indian actress Bhavana Menon, in 2017.

WongPartnership O: 7; L: 7; I: 8; Total: 22 The firm helped German telecoms group Deutsche Telekom enforce an award in Singapore of $93.3mn plus costs against India over the breach of a bilateral investment treaty, originally granted through arbitration in Geneva. Lawyers persuaded the Singapore Court of Appeal to apply the legal principle of “transnational estoppel”, which prevented India from relitigating claims already rejected by the Swiss court.

Anand and Anand O: 7; L: 7; I: 7; Total: 21 The firm won an interim order for Indian actor Anil Kapoor before the High Court of Delhi when he sued 16 defendants last year for misusing artificial intelligence. They were accused of exploiting his image and voice to create deepfakes for commercial gain, in ringtones and other merchandise. The case has led to increased scrutiny over the legality of deepfake practices in India.

Rajah & Tann Singapore O: 7; L: 7; I: 6; Total: 20 The firm’s lawyers defended Chinese tech company NetEase Games against an application for an interim injunction in Singapore in December 2022 to force withdrawal of a video game from sale.

Rival US video developer Riot Games had claimed NetEase’s game Hyper Front infringed the copyright of its similar Valorant combat game, as part of a campaign of action in several jurisdictions. However, NetEase did withdraw the game from the market last April, following legal challenges in various jurisdictions.

Restructuring

Winner: Sidley Austin Originality: 8; Leadership: 9; Impact: 8; Total: 25 The firm advised Chinese developer Sunac through a $10bn offshore debt restructuring last year, one of the first of its kind among China’s distressed property companies, following a widespread wave of defaults since 2021. It narrowed down the company’s complex creditor structure to a single class by use of a court-led scheme of arrangement and refinanced the existing debt into convertible bonds — in line with Hong Kong regulation.

Clifford Chance O: 8; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 24 The firm advised Italian construction group WeBuild on the rescue and restructuring of Clough, the troubled Australian building company, last year. The lawyers helped strike a deal with Clough’s administrator and creditors, preventing the collapse of the business. This required the renegotiation of hundreds of contracts in a 12-week period and saved more than 1,100 jobs. Among the projects saved were Snowy 2.0, a multibillion-dollar hydro power extension project.

Pinsent Masons O: 8; L: 8; I: 7; Total: 23 The firm advised the International Finance Corporation, the investment arm of the World Bank, on its $67mn financing of a transport terminal in Laos. This involved separating the contractual agreements of the project in the country’s capital from a wider logistics development. The deal, which closed in December, is designed to divide the project into two “bankable” concessions to encourage further additional funding.

Morgan Lewis O: 9; L: 7; I: 7; Total: 23 The firm advised PNG Air, Papua New Guinea’s second-largest domestic airline, in securing a vital writedown of debts under a court-approved creditor scheme to avoid bankruptcy. The lawyers teamed up with other advisers to secure backing for the restructuring, formally approved in December, through which major creditors swapped debt for equity in the business.

Rajah & Tann Singapore O: 8; L: 7; I: 7; Total: 22 The firm worked as lead counsel for DeFi Payments following the collapse of its crypto exchange, Vauld, in July 2022 when a surge of withdrawals by customers forced it to reveal a $70mn shortfall of funds. Lawyers worked alongside new management on a court-supervised scheme approved in August last year, to retrieve what remains of its assets and provide customers with the means to retrieve part of the value of funds originally invested.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth O: 8; L: 7; I: 6; Total: 21 The firm advised Mineral Resources on last year’s acquisition of the Bald Hill lithium mine in Western Australia, for A$260mn including assumed debt, after its previous owner went into administration four years earlier. The lawyers helped strike the deal by using independent experts to value the mine — despite hopes among some former shareholders of a higher premium.

Science and technology

Winner: Trilegal Originality: 8; Leadership: 8; Impact: 9; Total: 25 The firm drafted a policy for India’s Open Network for Digital Commerce, a government-backed scheme designed to encourage ecommerce expansion and competition. The network aims to connect different platforms through technology, enabling all buyers and sellers to transact with each other regardless of which app they are on.

The scheme was created by India’s commerce ministry to encourage small traders to move their businesses online and promote competition with established platform providers. The policy is designed to be fit for future regulatory changes.

MinterEllison O: 7; L: 8; I: 9; Total: 24 The firm helped Genomical, an Australian genomics data collaboration between hospitals and academic groups, become a commercial enterprise. The firm devised a structure to balance the interests of investors with stakeholder control over product development. It structured shareholder rights and negotiated intellectual property rights to take account of the platform’s potential use by hospitals around Australia for genetic tests and other medical applications.

Sidley Austin O: 8; L: 8; I: 7; Total: 23 The firm represented Chinese chip developer BaTeLab in the vetting process for listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange in December. The lawyers drew on their drafting of the legal prospectus and specialist knowledge of the semiconductor industry to inform the HKEX about the company and its products.

Tilleke & Gibbins O: 6; L: 7; I: 8; Total: 21 The Thai firm’s local expertise helped global tech companies Amazon and Google navigate foreign investment restrictions to take part, alongside Microsoft, in investing $8.5bn to build data centres in Thailand.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co O: 6; L: 7; I: 7; Total: 20 The firm helped telecoms operator Reliance Jio secure financing to buy equipment worth over $2.bn from Sweden’s Ericsson through a loan facility with several banks. Syndicated loans of its scale are rare in India, requiring the lawyers to liaise closely with regulators.

Anand and Anand O: 7; L: 7; I: 6; Total: 20 The firm helped US tech groups Microsoft and Amazon pursue a case against an India-based scam that involved impersonating support staff and defrauding customers of both companies. The lawyers convinced India’s Central Bureau of Investigation to register this as a rare joint case.

Winner: Morgan Lewis Originality: 8; Leadership: 8; Impact: 9; Total: 25 The firm assisted Singapore-based global port operator PSA International in setting up a joint venture with Kazakhstan’s state-owned railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.

To satisfy PSA’s preference, the business is subject to the AIFC Court, an independent jurisdiction following English common law based in the Kazakh capital Astana that is separate from the country’s domestic judicial system.

The combined entity, KPMC, was unveiled last May and aims to improve rail route connections and trade flows from China and the rest of Asia to Europe via Kazakhstan.

Gilbert + Tobin O: 9; L: 8; I: 7; Total: 24 The firm advised Sigma Healthcare in striking a proposed reverse takeover deal with its larger Australian pharmacy rival, Chemist Warehouse. Under the terms of the deal, announced in December, shareholders in privately owned Chemist Warehouse would hold an 85 per cent stake in the combined business, which would take on the Australian Securities Exchange listing of Sigma and have an indicative market capitalisation of A$8.8bn.

The company obtained “in principle” advice from the ASX that it would not need to repeat compliance with the exchange’s admission and quotation requirements following its effective takeover by the larger Chemist Warehouse. The deal remains subject to approval by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Dechert O: 7; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 23 The firm advised Capital Square Partners on its merger with Basil Technology Partners in 2023. The deal created a merged fund valued at $700mn that provides investors with access to a larger pool of technology assets, or the ability to cash out of original investments. The assets are spread across multiple jurisdictions in south-east Asia and it has become one of the largest technology funds in Asia.

Nishimura & Asahi O: 8; L: 8; I: 7; Total: 23 The firm advised Toshiba, the Japanese electronics conglomerate, on reverting to private ownership following 74 years as a public company and, latterly, eight years of accounting and governance turmoil.

The lawyers helped to secure a $15bn offer from a consortium led by private equity firm Japanese Industrial Partners, following a protracted sales process that paved the way for the country’s biggest ever take-private deal.

Ensuring transparency with the shareholders and encouraging competition among bidders was crucial in concluding the sale of the business, given the heightened scrutiny of Toshiba prompted by the recent controversies.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer O: 7; L: 7; I: 7; Total: 21 The firm helped Zurich Insurance acquire an enlarged majority stake in Indian insurer Kotak Mahindra General Insurance for $488mn. The proposed stake rose from 51 per cent plus additional considerations to 70 per cent outright, requiring the lawyers to design a structure to comply with regulatory limits on foreign ownership of Indian insurers. If the deal goes ahead, it will represent the largest foreign investment into India’s non-life insurance market.

Resolüt Partners O: 6; L: 7; I: 7; Total: 20 The firm advised Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC on the creation of a joint venture with Genus Power Infrastructure, an Indian smart meter maker. GIC holds 74 per cent, with Genus holding the remainder of the business, which is committing $2bn in capital to supply smart metering across India.

Fintech and digital assets

Winner: DLA Piper Originality: 8; Leadership: 8; Impact: 9; Total: 25 A team of lawyers based in Hong Kong helped Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara) create a compliance framework for all cryptocurrency and other digital asset businesses. Lawyers worked with the emirate’s regulator to draft a rule book aimed at promoting Dubai as a hub for cryptocurrency investment while ensuring consumer protection. By April 2023, the regulator had granted 19 licences.

Allen & Gledhill O: 8; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 24 The firm advised Singapore-based global carbon exchange Climate Impact X ahead of its first trading day, in June 2023. The venture — which aims to establish Singapore as a regional hub that can challenge other global exchanges in voluntary carbon emission trading — is backed by Singapore Exchange, state investor Temasek, and the banks DBS, Standard Chartered and Mizuho. The exchange aims to attract international carbon traders keen to buy credits created by the accredited projects designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Ashurst and Linklaters O: 8; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 24 When the Hong Kong government issued a $750mn green, multi-currency digital bond, Linklaters acted for global bank HSBC, and Ashurst represented its blockchain platform HSBC Orion, where the bond is hosted. Lawyers from both firms liaised with regulators and helped redesign the bond documentation to reflect its use of blockchain.

The lawyers ensured the hosting digital platform was directly connected to Hong Kong’s central clearing house so investors could subscribe to the bond without having to open new accounts.

Baker McKenzie O: 7; L: 8; I: 8; Total: 23 In November 2023, the firm helped Singapore’s DBS Bank, Switzerland’s UBS, and Japan’s SBI Digital Asset Holdings to structure the world’s first cross-border repo and natively-issued digital bond fully executed and settled on a public blockchain. The transaction, which was sponsored by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, aimed to test the feasibility of applications in asset tokenisation and decentralised finance deploying distributed ledger technology.

Clifford Chance O: 8; L: 8; I: 6; Total: 22 The fintech team advised on Singapore’s first live cross-border transaction using tokenised deposits between financial services company JPMorgan and Japanese digital asset service provider SBI Digital Asset Holdings, in November 2022. The lawyers contributed to the development of new regulation that clarifies that these tokenised deposits will not be classed as securities.

Howse Williams O: 7; L: 7; I: 7; Total: 21 The firm helped Tykhe Capital investment group win approval from the Hong Kong securities regulator to tokenise a real estate asset fund through a subsidiary, Pioneer Asset Management. The rarity of tokenised real estate asset funds in the region meant lawyers had to show how it complied with existing regulation. The transaction aims to set a blueprint for future tokenisation projects in Hong Kong.

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International Edition

In the tech world and beyond, new 5G applications are being discovered every day. From driverless cars to smarter cities, farms, and even shopping experiences, the latest standard in wireless networks is poised to transform the way we interact with information, devices and each other. What better time to take a closer look at how humans are putting 5G to use to transform their world.

What is 5G?

5G (fifth-generation mobile technology  is the newest standard for cellular networks. Like its predecessors, 3G, 4G and 4G LTE, 5G technology uses radio waves for data transmission. However, due to significant improvements in latency, throughput and bandwidth, 5G is capable of faster download and upload speeds than previous networks.

Since its release in 2019, 5G broadband technology has been hailed as a breakthrough technology with significant implications for both consumers and businesses. Primarily, this is due to its ability to handle large volumes of data that is generated by complex devices that use its networks.

As mobile technology has expanded over the years, the number of data users generate every day has increased exponentially. Currently, other transformational technologies like  artificial intelligence (AI),  the  Internet of Things (IoT ) and  machine learning (ML)  require faster speeds to function than 3G and 4G networks offer. Enter 5G, with its lightning-fast data transfer capabilities that allow newer technologies to function in the way they were designed to.

Here are some of the biggest differences between 5G and previous wireless networks.

• Physical footprint : The transmitters that are used in 5G technology are smaller than in predecessors’ networks, allowing for discrete placement in out-of-the-way places. Furthermore, “cells”—geographical areas that all wireless networks require for connectivity—in 5G networks are smaller and require less power to run than in previous generations.
• Error rates : 5G’s adaptive Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), a schematic that wifi devices use to transmit data, is more powerful than ones in 3G and 4G networks. This makes 5G’s Block Error Rate (BER)—a metric of error frequency—much lower. 
• Bandwidth : By using a broader spectrum of radio frequencies than previous wireless networks, 5G networks can transmit on a wider range of bandwidths. This increases the number of devices that they can support at any given time.
• Lower latency : 5G’s low  latency , a measurement of the time it takes data to travel from one location to another, is a significant upgrade over previous generations. This means that routine activities like downloading a file or working in the cloud is going to be faster with a 5G connection than a connection on a different network.

Like all wireless networks, 5G networks are separated into geographical areas that are known as cells. Within each cell, wireless devices—such as smartphones, PCs, and IoT devices—connect to the internet via radio waves that are transmitted between an antenna and a base station. The technology that underpins 5G is essentially the same as in 3G and 4G networks. But due to its lower latency, 5G networks are capable of delivering faster download speeds—in some cases as high as 10 gigabits per second (Gbps).

As more and more devices are built for 5G speeds, demand for 5G connectivity is growing. Today, many popular Internet Service Providers (ISPs), such as Verizon, Google and AT&T, offer 5G networks to homes and businesses. According to Statista,  more than 200 million homes  and businesses have already purchased it with that number expected to at least double by 2028 (link resides outside ibm.com).

Let’s take a look at three areas of technological improvement that have made 5G so unique.

New telecom specifications

The 5G NR (New Radio) standard for cellular networks defines a new radio access technology (RAT) specification for all 5G mobile networks. The 5G rollout began in 2018 with a global initiative known as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3FPP). The initiative defined a new set of standards to steer the design of devices and applications for use on 5G networks.

The initiative was a success, and 5G networks grew swiftly in the ensuing years. Today, 45% of networks worldwide are 5G compatible, with that number forecasted to rise to 85% by the end of the decade according to  a recent report by Ericsson  (link resides outside ibm.com).

Independent virtual networks (network slicing)

On 5G networks, network operators can offer multiple independent virtual networks (in addition to public ones) on the same infrastructure. Unlike previous wireless networks, this new capability allows users to do more things remotely with greater security than ever before. For example, on a 5G network, enterprises can create use cases or business models and assign them their own independent virtual network. This dramatically improves the user experience for their employees by adding greater customizability and security.

Private networks

In addition to network slicing, creating a 5G private network can also enhance personalization and security features over those available on previous generations of wireless networks. Global businesses seeking more control and mobility for their employees increasingly turn to private 5G network architectures rather than public networks they’ve used in the past.

Now that we better understand how 5G technology works, let’s take a closer look at some of the exciting applications it’s enabling.

Autonomous vehicles

From taxi cabs to drones and beyond, 5G technology underpins most of the next-generation capabilities in autonomous vehicles. Until the 5G cellular standard came along, fully autonomous vehicles were a bit of a pipe dream due to the data transmission limitations of 3G and 4G technology. Now, 5G’s lightning-fast connection speeds have made transport systems for cars, trains and more, faster than previous generations, transforming the way systems and devices connect, communicate and collaborate.

Smart factories

5G, along with AI and ML, is poised to help factories become not only smarter but more automated, efficient, and resilient. Today, many mundane but necessary tasks that are associated with equipment repair and optimization are being turned over to machines thanks to 5G connectivity paired with AI and ML capabilities. This is one area where 5G is expected to be highly disruptive, impacting everything from fuel economy to the design of equipment lifecycles and how goods arrive at our homes.

For example, on a busy factory floor, drones and cameras that are connected to smart devices that use the IoT can help locate and transport something more efficiently than in the past and prevent theft. Not only is this better for the environment and consumers, but it also frees up employees to dedicate their time and energy to tasks that are more suited to their skill sets.

Smart cities

The idea of a hyper-connected urban environment that uses 5G network speeds to spur innovation in areas like law enforcement, waste disposal and disaster mitigation is fast becoming a reality. Some cities already use 5G-enabled sensors to track traffic patterns in real time and adjust signals, helping guide the flow of traffic, minimize congestion, and improve air quality.

In another example, 5G power grids monitor supply and demand across heavily populated areas and deploy AI and ML applications to “learn” what times energy is in high or low demand. This process has been shown to significantly impact energy conservation and waste, potentially reducing carbon emissions and helping cities reach sustainability goals.

Smart healthcare

Hospitals, doctors, and the healthcare industry as a whole already benefit from the speed and reliability of 5G networks every day. One example is the area of remote surgery that uses robotics and a high-definition live stream that is connected to the internet via a 5G network. Another is the field of mobile health, where 5G gives medical workers in the field quick access to patient data and medical history. This enables them to make smarter decisions, faster, and potentially save lives.

Lastly, as we saw during the pandemic, contact tracing and the mapping of outbreaks are critical to keeping populations safe. 5G’s ability to deliver of volumes of data swiftly and securely allows experts to make more informed decisions that have ramifications for everyone.

5G paired with new technological capabilities won’t just result in the automation of employee tasks, it will dramatically improve them and the overall  employee experience . Take virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), for example. VR (digital environments that shut out the real world) and AR (digital content that augments the real world) are already used by stockroom employees, transportation drivers and many others. These employees rely on wearables that are connected to a 5G network capable of high-speed data transfer rates that improve several key capabilities, including the following:

• Live views : 5G connectivity provides live, real-time views of equipment, events, and even people. One way in which this feature is being used in professional sports is to allow broadcasters to remotely call a sporting event from outside the stadium where the event is taking place.
• Digital overlays : IoT applications in a warehouse or industrial setting allow workers that are equipped with smart glasses (or even just a smartphone) to obtain real-time insights from an application. This includes repair instructions or the name and location of a spare part.
• Drone inspections : Right now, one of the leading causes of employee injury is inspection of equipment or project sites in remote and potentially dangerous areas. Drones, which are connected via 5G networks, can safely monitor equipment and project sites and even take readings from hard-to-reach gauges.

Edge computing , a computing framework that allows computations to be done closer to data sources, is fast becoming the standard for enterprises. According to  this Gartner white paper  (link resides outside ibm.com), by 2025, 75% of enterprise data will be processed at the edge (compared to only 10% today). This shift saves businesses time and money and enables better control over large volumes of data. It would be impossible without the new speed standards that are generated by 5G technology. 

Ultra-reliable edge computing and 5G enable the enterprise to achieve faster transmission speeds, increased control and greater security over massive volumes of data. Together, these twin technologies will help reduce latency while increasing speed, reliability and bandwidth, resulting in faster, more comprehensive data analysis and insights for businesses everywhere.

5G solutions with IBM Cloud Satellite  

5G presents significant opportunities for the enterprise, but first, you need a platform that can handle its speed. IBM Cloud Satellite® lets you deploy and run apps consistently across on-premises, edge computing and public cloud environments on a 5G network. And it’s all enabled by secure and auditable communications within the IBM Cloud®.

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