The world is constantly changing and presents complex challenges that require new perspectives and disruptive thinking to find solutions that add value. With this in mind, the third public event in theMedia Lab ORT | UN75series took place on Wednesday, August 26, at the School of Communication and was streamed on the school’s YouTube channel.
The event featured Álvaro Moré, president of Young & Rubicam Group, and Nicolás Jodal, CEO of GeneXus, with Alejandra Rossi, executive director of Socialab Uruguay, serving as moderator.
Knowledge first, innovation second
"Before we talk about social innovation, we need to talk about social commitment," Álvaro Moré said. "What we need are entrepreneurs with a social commitment."
To achieve disruptive solutions for society, Jodal first stated that innovation must be applied. He asserted that the private sector must be given the freedom to experiment, because “it is responsible for experimentation and for generating new ideas; that is when a paradigm shift occurs.”
I believe the private sector is essential because any innovation process is, in reality, a gamble. It’s only natural that when you say “innovation,” people don’t take you seriously.
Nicolás Jodal
In that regard, Jodal explained that “it is very difficult” for the public sector to make a genuine commitment to innovation because “consensus-building mechanisms are required, and innovation is far removed from such mechanisms.” In fact, innovation involves taking the opposite approach: “it means betting on the opposite of what the majority thinks.”
When asked about the role of CEOs, they agreed that, among the many tasks they must perform, communication is key. Both internally and externally, Jodal noted. Moré added: “As CEOs, we have a lot of responsibilities to fulfill, such as meeting the company’s goals and delivering results; safeguarding the jobs of hundreds of people is a matter of social responsibility.”
Moré believes that the main enemy of innovation is the past. “Start with a dream, no matter how strange it may seem. At first glance, it will seem impossible.”
Jodal, meanwhile, recommended choosing a topic and studying it in depth. “For me, what doesn’t work is just talking idly, sitting in a café and trying to solve the world’s problems. Innovation comes after knowledge, not before.”
Companies need to be socially responsible, regardless of whether it makes good business sense. People often ask me whether a company that does something good should publicize it or not. The answer is yes, because it’s contagious.
Álvaro Moré
The series kicked off with a presentation by Mireia Villar—the UN Resident Coordinator in Uruguay—and José Peralta—the UN Communications Advisor in our country—ata conference titled “The Decade of Action.” A week later, Pipe Stein and Juan Ciapessoni discussed, agreed, and exchanged views on how creativity can serve as “a solution to problems.”
Upcoming events in the series
- Technology and Sustainability: The Challenges of 2030(September 2)
- Agents of Change for a Sustainable World(September 9)