From SSKE
Nordic service science summit took place in IBM Helsinki on the 28th February 2007, and gathered together 70 Nordic specialist of the service field representing public and private sector as well as universities. The aim of the meeting was sharing experiences, recognizing the needs for teaching and research in the field, and above all, networking across different sectors of society.
The event shed light on service science issues in different sectors. Speakers from universities updated the audience on what is currently going on in service science education and research, and what service related problems the research has already managed to solve. The speeches and the panel also helped define the concept of services and point out the research gaps in the service field. In addition, the vital role of social sciences and humanities in researching service science was recognized.
Other speakers pointed out the growing focus on services in private and public sectors. The current state of the art of service science was introduced, and practical case examples highlighted the importance of services in today’s business -companies that have previously been known as manufacturers are rapidly moving towards service oriented business strategies. In public sector, the aging population increases the need for finding new, innovative ways of providing welfare services.
One of the major findings of the summit was the rapidly increasing need for new skills and expertise in services both in private and public sectors. We need new ‘T-people’, i.e. people who have a broad understanding of several fields combined with profound expertise. Since services are all about dealing with people, also human sciences are a crucial part of service science. Universities have a vital role in providing service related research and education to meet the growing need for service related skills in society. IBM supports universities in this endeavour by helping universities in defining teaching curriculum and by supporting service related research that helps to narrow the existing research gaps.
The summit was a start for ongoing discussion on service science across different sectors, and as the importance of this dialogue was recognized, new meetings and summits on service science will be welcomed also in the future.
