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The information industry faces stark choices in order to stay relevant in markets that are being disrupted by rapid technological and business model changes. In an industry that was already grappling with these the global pandemic has accelerated the pace of this change. We are experiencing major cultural shifts in organisational behaviours, decision-making, protocols etc. and as such information and content markets should no longer be viewed as mature. Data, technology, political, cultural and economic forces are necessitating reinvention on a vast scale and the nature of this means that for some there are such huge opportunities for many and yet, counter to that, some may not survive…    

 

Addressing this through three main themes, “putting the content consumer at the centre of the information industry”, “reinventing the value proposition, business models and revenue streams” and the “technology delivering the change”, ConTech 2021 delivered an exceptional conference with thought leadership, practical tools, case studies and stories of successful transformation.

 

“How do organisations deal with this and get things done” – ConTech 2021 included the what, the why and the how in all sessions. This meant a format focus that allowed for the high-level thinking but also made room for real practical insights into delivery which closes the loop on execution and strategy as well as starting to show transformation insights, ROI etc.

 

This year ConTech 2021 went hybrid! In person in London and online. The ConTech community experienced a blended event for the very first time. Face to face and digital delivery was completely integrated and presented major new opportunities to learn network and share in ways never done before.

 

Watch back below and get caught up ahead of ConTech 2022 coming this autumn...

ConTech 2021
After Content; The emerging world of information and intelligence
49:58

After Content; The emerging world of information and intelligence

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 11am Speaker: David R Worlock, Chief Research Fellow, Outsell Inc This keynote seeks to look beyond the traditional world of content processing and acquisition - publishers and libraries - to the wider context of information as created and used by originators , researchers and consumers. Changes there, it is argued, will, over time, fundamentally change what publishers and librarians do for a living. Automated content creation, from robotic process or the electronic lab notebook through to digital checking and editing systems, are slowly coming into place. Intelligent machine reading of digitally compiled books and articles are beginning to allow users to cope more effectively with vastly expanded information flows. How close are we to a world where the primary content is the metadata, and we only have recourse to the full text in extreme circumstances? Which will be more important - the time consuming reading and understanding of content, or following the chain of digitally linked annotations by users that describe the significance of that content in the context of our needs? With all the tools of NLP, AI, machine learning, RPA, intelligent analytics and semantic-enabled concept comparison in action, what will be required of the traditional knowledge transfer businesses?
Putting AI into the hands of global consumers of scholarly research
20:25

Putting AI into the hands of global consumers of scholarly research

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 11:45am Speaker: Phil Gooch, Founder, Scholarcy Putting the content consumer at the centre of the information industry; The technology delivering the change Content technology in scholarly publishing is often focused on improving editorial and production workflows. While developments in AI show a lot of promise, the need for editorial and expert oversight over any automated decision-making, content verification or content generation technology, can be barriers to adoption. In these workflows, the quality of AI-generated output usually needs to be as accurate as that created by a human expert. However, an alternative model exists in which the technology is placed directly in the hands of the end user. Consumers tend to be more willing to accept automation errors if they are able to customise the process, modify and adapt the output, and provide direct input to improve the results over time. In this session, we'll look at how recent developments in natural language processing (NLP) can be applied in 4 new ways: 1) to enhance the reading and learning experience for students; 2) to make the latest research more accessible to those with a range of needs; 3) to help non-experts become consumers of scholarly information; and 4) to help researchers to remix their own work to broaden its dissemination.
How can artificial intelligence help us find new case law?
31:39

How can artificial intelligence help us find new case law?

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 12:15pm Speaker: Paul Magrath, Head of Product Development and Online Content, ICLR As more and more case law is moved online, the key question for barristers, law students and solicitors who look for and cite case law is not only ‘how do I find the cases I need’? but also, ‘how do I find the cases I need that I don’t know about’? In this presentation, Paul Magrath from the ICLR examines how artificial intelligence might help the legal profession gain new insights and value from their data by providing the chance to dig deeper and wider into case law to find the ‘unknown unknowns’ that could change the landscape. ICLR’s online content platform is the authoritative source of case law in England and Wales and ICLR’s flagship digital product. ICLR products date back to 1865 and are used daily by barristers, solicitors, law schools and state institutions. In this session, Paul will also discuss how digital transformation works in the legal industry and how to foster a bold, digitally-led culture.
Digital Transformation in Practice: “Are We Nearly There Yet?”
31:08

Digital Transformation in Practice: “Are We Nearly There Yet?”

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 1:45pm Speaker: Sam Burrell, Strategic Publishing Consultant, 67 Bricks In this session Sam will reflect on the critical success factors for digital transformation programs. She will draw on case studies from within scholarly communications (and beyond), identifying the cultural and technical challenges facing both leadership and implementation teams. What does digital transformation really look and feel like within this unique marketplace? What are the risks -- of changing, and of not changing? And what new opportunities does this process open up for those who manage to become a new kind of company?
Panel - Designing Organizations That Deliver Change
50:14

Panel - Designing Organizations That Deliver Change

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 2:15pm Speakers: Ann Michael, CEO, Delta Think - Alix Vance, CEO, AIP Publishing - Daniel Ebneter, CEO, Karger Publishers - Vicky Williams, Group CEO, Emerald Publishing Traditional hierarchical work structures often create functional verticals that can become decision-making silos. With only a few individuals in an organization that are charged with considering the full organizational view, decision making can be slowed, individuals can feel disempowered, and customer perspective can be unclear. In this session we will look at three concrete examples of organizations rethinking their structure, work practices, and culture to be successful as our ecosystems continue to evolve. One organization is in the planning stage, another is in the process of implementing a new organizational design, and a third is farther along, having implemented their initial design and built tools to support their new way of working.
Innovation in a time of crisis - Is the pandemic accelerating or slowing digital transformation?
43:49

Innovation in a time of crisis - Is the pandemic accelerating or slowing digital transformation?

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 3:00pm Speakers: Martha Sedgwick, VP Product Innovation, SAGE - Martin Drewe, Head of Customer Experience, Adam Matthew Digital - Alison Spencer, CEO, Talis - Matt Hayes, Managing Director, Lean Library Learn how different businesses have sustained innovation work throughout the pandemic Explore what opportunities this crisis has created within our industry
Why Academic Publishing needs its Netflix moment!
31:35

Why Academic Publishing needs its Netflix moment!

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 4:00pm Speaker: Dr Prathik Roy, Group Product Manager, Springer Nature Open access might well be transformative but it is not the disruption the publishing sector widely expects it to be. The question the industry should really be asking is – What after open access? How do you provide value to your user? While we soak in the sweet redolence of being the driver of change, there are technological breakthroughs happening all around us creating 100’s of new unicorns in the tech sector using the data most publishers have access to themselves but lack the vision to create cutting edge solutions that will disrupt the market through machine learning/artificial intelligence because journals and books are all we know. We need to transform publishing into the information analytics industry. Netflix changed the entertainment industry through investment in content, user interaction data and strategic business models. We need to start providing value to our users through knowledge-based tools, contextual data and predictive material informatics. Researchers couldn’t care less about reading yet another article, instead they seek solutions, relevant information & insights – therein lies the value from which we can build an eco-system of knowledge and data, use new business models such as revenue sharing, ecosystem value chain & others. Else we will be left with a sweeping sense of melancholy standing on the precipice of what could have been rather than soaking in the sweet redolence of creating the next big thing.
Speakers, Summary and Q&A
24:37

Speakers, Summary and Q&A

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 4:30pm Speakers: Sam Herbert, MD and Co-Founder, 67 Bricks - Ann Michael, CEO, Delta Think - Dan Pollock, Founder, Principal Consultant, Silicon Guru Ltd Our chairs round up Day 1
Farewell to One Size Fits All: How publishers use technology to deliver better customer experience.
50:36

Farewell to One Size Fits All: How publishers use technology to deliver better customer experience.

Recorded live at ConTech 2021 - Nov 16th 2021 - 11:00am Speakers: Nick Fallon, Independent Consultant & Senior Advisor, Collingwood Advisory - Nicola Marlin, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Informa Pharma - Laura Jenner, Product Director, GlobalData Media How can publishers and information providers best use technology to create personalised and engaging experiences at all stages of their relationships with individual and corporate customers? From attracting and onboarding new customers to delivering optimal customer experience and engagement, one thing is for sure: a one size fits all approach leaves customers underwhelmed and money on the table!
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