The 8th edition of the Forum de la Haute Horlogerie will take place at the IMD Lausanne and will provide an annual gathering for the fine watchmaking industry stakeholders and as such is intended to explore contemporary themes that raise key issues. On this occasion, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie invites leading academics, politicians and economists to share their experience and their vision of the world. This year, they will be debating the “Age of Transitions”, the topic of this day of encounters and shared reflections.
One cannot overlook the currents swirling through modern society named such as “the new economy”, “the dictatorship of innovation” and “social networks”. Currents that are not confined to a specific geographical area, but are instead engulfing the whole planet and that are already profoundly influencing our daily lives and threatening traditional business models.
That is exactly the task that this 8th Forum de la Haute Horlogerie has set for itself, through an approach involving two phases. First, an overview of geopolitics in the world’s major post-industrial regions on the day after the US presidential election, followed by a look at the economy as a field of influence for knowledge technologies.
Within this context, Jean-Eric Braana, a specialist in American sociopolitical issues, has been invited to comment on the appointment of the next President of the United States. He will be accompanied by Gilles Kepel, an expert on the contemporary Arab world and Hubert Védrine, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, who will outline the new parameters of our political environment. The subsequent speakers, geopolitical and foresight analyst Virginie Raisson, as well as futurist Gerd Leonhard, will bring a forward-looking touch to the event. They will be followed by Michael Wade, Professor of Innovation and Strategy at IMD, who will discuss the impact of digital technology on the business world. The day will conclude with three testimonies from watch industry bosses who are confronted with their own specific transitions: Cyrille Vigneron, CEO Cartier; Max Büsser, founder and creative director MB&F; and Olivier Audemars, Vice Chairman of the Board, Audemars Piguet.
