Digital change: when industrial issues resurface

The key elements of the digital revolution are software, the virtual world, and data. One could therefore readily assume that industrial issues are no longer important in this digital age. However, the promising segment of connected objects (the Internet of Things) serves to remind us, on the contrary, of the importance of ingenious design, strict manufacturing standards, and the ability to satisfy a strong demand on a global scale. Thomas Serval is a ‘serial entrepreneur’ and inventor of many objects including the connected toothbrush (Kolibree) the reputation of which made him one of the leading French participants at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show. He is currently in charge of a rapidly expanding group which has activities in R&D, industrialisation and marketing throughout the world. Even though its managerial methods are radically digital, in other words often the reverse of traditional industrial approaches, the group’s preoccupations and concerns are clearly industrial.