Show Notes
OPEN ECHOES Episode #3 An interview with Dr. Christian Matt OPEN Echoes reflects the original thoughts, analyses, and viewpoints shared by academics, thought leaders and non-military experts — spreading ideas, perspectives, and insights across the globe. It’s our hope that the insights shared in these episodes will help to impact and influence thinking and conversations long after you take off your headphones. OPEN Echoes alternates episodes between compelling interviews with non-NATO subject matter experts, and readings from OPEN's wide range of publications. In this episode, we interview Dr. Christian Matt. — Dr. Christian Matt is a professor and co-director of the Institute of Information Systems at the University of Bern in Switzerland. He is also the author of "Strategic Aspects of Digital Transportation for Military Organisations." Dr. Matt is fascinated by how digital technologies lead to new opportunities and paradigm shifts for business, public institutes, society, and individuals. With a focus on the managerial aspects of digital transformation and the responsible design of artificial intelligence applications, Dr. Matt conducts research, teaches, and consults with various organizations on their digital future. This OPEN Echoes interview explores: - How digital transformation goes beyond technology and requires a comprehensive organizational approach. - The four dimensions of digital transformation are technological, value creation, organizational changes, and resource planning. - Where military organizations face challenges in digital transformation, including high security standards and regulatory constraints. - An emphasis on the need for a balance between agility and security in digital transformation for military organizations. Dr. Matt’s article, "Strategic Aspects of Digital Transportation for Military Organisations," is available on the OPEN Publications website. [LINKTO: https://issuu.com/spp_plp/docs/open_publication_digital_transformation?fr=sMjRlYzU4MzM2MjU] — Welcome to OPEN Echoes. OPEN stands for “Other Perspectives Exchange Network.” Our mission is to explore diverse, insightful and sometimes disruptive viewpoints on matters crucial to NATO. The lightly-edited transcript of this episode’s interview with Dr. Matt follows: Dave Summers: On today's program we're speaking to Dr. Christian Matt. He's the author of Strategic Aspects of Digital Transportation for military organizations. Hello, Christian, how are you today? Dr. Christian Matt: Hello, Dave. I'm doing well. Thanks. How are you? Dave: I'm doing fine. Thank you. The standard question I ask all of our guests is if you don't mind, please introduce yourself to the listeners and give us some background about how you got to where you are in life. Dr. Matt: . First of all, many thanks for your interest and for having me. Dave, it's a great pleasure. My name is Christian Matt. I'm a professor and co-director of the Institute of Information Systems at the University of Berne in Switzerland. And as part of my work, I do research and teaching on the topics of managerial aspects of digital transformation, as well as the responsible design of artificial intelligence applications and on these topics, I also consult companies of various clients, supporting them and finding suitable ways into their digital future. Dave: Who or what inspired you or influenced you to write about this particular issue. Dr. Matt: Well, in the past 10 years or so, have shown us that digital transformation is often not just a technological challenge. In fact, we see a number of examples of firms and other institutions that might have decent technological skills, but that still do not achieve the level of digital transformation they were actually hoping for. And in many cases, part of the problem is actually a too strong focus on technological aspects at the same time neglecting one or even several other key dimensions for the success of their digital transformation endeav
More from OPEN Echoes
OPEN ECHOES Episode #24 An interview with Dr. Olivier Schmitt __ Dr. Olivier Schmitt is a professor of political science at the Center for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), where he focuses on security policy, military cooperation, arms control, and the evolving nature of warfare. He previously served as director of research and studies at the French Institute of Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) and holds a Ph.D. from the Department of War Studies at Kings College London. __ This interview explores the author's insights on alliance dynamics, focusing on: - A broader definition of alliances, including both formal treaties and informal alignments, to better reflect today’s complex security partnerships. - Three key motivations behind alliance behavior: balancing (uniting against a threat), bandwagoning (aligning with a dominant power), and tethering (maintaining adversarial relationships within an alliance to prevent open conflict). - The role of institutional adaptability in ensuring the credibility of alliances. - The challenges posed by economic ties with adversarial powers, which complicate alliance politics. - The conclusion that NATO is not merely a military alliance but also a community of democratic values—essential for its long-term stability, cohesion, and legitimacy in the 21st century. Welcome to OPEN Echoes. OPEN stands for “Other Perspectives Exchange Network.” Our mission is to explore diverse, insightful, and sometimes disruptive viewpoints on matters crucial to NATO. OPEN Echoes reflects the original thoughts, analyses, and viewpoints shared by academics, thought leaders and non-military experts — spreading ideas, perspectives, and insights across the globe. - It’s our hope that the insights shared in these episodes will help to impact and influence thinking and conversations long after you take off your headphones. OPEN Echoes alternates episodes between compelling interviews with non-NATO subject matter experts, and readings from OPEN's wide range of publications. In this episode, we interview Dr. Olivier Schmitt. Dr. Schmitt’s article, “The Emergence of Military Alliances in the 21 st Century"; is available on the OPEN Publications website here.
OPEN ECHOES Episode #23 OPEN Echoes reflects the original thoughts, analyses, and viewpoints shared by academics, thought leaders and non-military experts — spreading ideas, perspectives, and insights across the globe. It’s our hope that the insights shared in these episodes will help to impact and influence thinking and conversations long after you take off your headphones. OPEN Echoes alternates episodes between compelling interviews with non-NATO subject matter experts, and readings from OPEN's wide range of publications. In this episode, we present an audio recording of the OPEN Publication, "Interoperability and Standardization in the Exponential Age” by Dr Michael Gerz. The reading length is approximately 49 minutes. Listeners should note that this audio reading does not include the references, images or diagrams included in the original publication. References, images and diagrams can be found in the original publication, which can be accessed and downloaded at https://issuu.com/spp_plp/docs/openpu_2?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ
OPEN ECHOES Episode #22