PUNE

Further, Dr. Hacklin in his book tled ‘Management of Convergence in Innova on’
explains the 4 stages of the Evolu onary Convergence Process.
THE EVOLUTIONARY CONVERGENCE PROCESS
Distinct Knowledge
Bases
Unassociated
Technologies
Intersected
Technologies
Integrated
Technologies
Substituent Technology
Base
Knowledge Convergence
Technological
Convergence
Applicational
Convergence
Industrial
Convergence
• Spill Over
between
Knowledge
Bases
• Technologies S ll
separate
• Domain of similar
technologies
emerges
• Common
products and
business models
s ll to be proven
• Common
technological
base becomes de
facto standard
• Business models
of different
industries collide
• “Convergent
dominant design”
becomes
established
• Industry
boundaries
become erode
Source Hacklin, F. (2008).
Converging technologies point out emerging
interac ons between previously separate fields of
research and technological development. Such shi s
result in qualita vely new technological possibili es with
poten ally revolu onary impacts. Resultant opportuni es
also create threats for companies in case they fail to respond
to the change. For instance, Ne lix disrupted the market and
opened up a new compe ve sphere in the music industry.
Convergence services such as VoIP, IPTV, Mobile TV, Web
TV, Webcas ng, Email and Internet access via digital
decoders, have replaced some of the old technologies.
Similarly, a new paradigm in telemedicine technology ­ Tele­
ICU, is a kind of virtual ICU (intensive care unit) that remotely
monitors a pa ent’s status. It is a combina on of state­ofthe­art
audio­visual communica on, computer systems,
communica ons, cloud compu ng, Big Data analy cs and
others fields.
McKinsey Global Ins tute’s (May 2013) report suggests
twelve disrup ve technologies: Mobile Internet,
Automa on of Knowledge Work, The Internet of Things,
Cloud Technology, Advanced Robo cs, Next­genera on
Genomics, Autonomous and Near­Autonomous Vehicles,
Energy Storage, 3D Prin ng, Advanced Materials, Advanced
Oil and Gas Explora on and Recovery and Renewable
Energy. These technology advances that will transform life
and businesses will have the poten al to drive direct
economic impact to the order of USD 14 trillion to
USD 33 trillion per year in 2025.
Pune is a major industrial hub and hosts one of the biggest
industrial zones not only in India, but in Asia as well. With a
number of well­established corporates in the city and a
number of start­ups cropping up across sectors, Pune is now
counted as one of the few entrepreneurial go­to
des na ons in the country.
Think Pune can strategically focus on convergence, enabling
a sustainable and scalable environment to create new
shared opportuni es across exis ng value chains in
Automo ve, Informa on & Communica on Technology,
Energy, Healthcare, Green Ini a ves, Manufacturing,
Pharmaceu cals, Chemicals, Biotechnology, Medical and
other industries. Inter­linkage opportuni es can help
elevate Pune as a hub for convergence­related radical
innova ons. Start­ups and organiza ons can take advantage
of this pla orm and explore new avenues of breakthrough
confluence, to create significant economic value with a high
impact through effec ve collabora on and cross­sector
partnership, which does not exist today.
The report highlights Pune’s strengths in some of the key
domains where a number of start­ups have emerged in the
last few years. While the report is restricted to a few specific
domains, it may not capture the en re entrepreneurial
ecosystem in Pune. Besides the domains covered in the
report, the city is also showing posi ve signs of being a
hotspot for sectors including gaming, food and design.
Interes ngly, Pune is also being referred to as the ‘Design
Capital of India’, yet another tle for the city!
chejad@gmail.com
2018
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