Steven De Hertogh is a lecturer and researcher specialising in business model innovation and digital transformation in media & entertainment business and other creative sectors.
A song, an episode of your favourite series, an escape room, a game, a shopping trip, a sports experience, a museum visit, you name it. Experiences are ubiquitous and the focus on experience technology has long since moved beyond the media and entertainment sector. Marketing, retail, tourism and culture are also constantly touting new technologies that would bring "the next big thing" and "radical change". But for most companies and entrepreneurs, it is well nigh impossible to capitalise on every new hype. After all, capital, knowledge and time are not infinitely available.
My interest and expertise focuses on seeking that tipping point from hype to pragmatism in creative sectors such as media & entertainment, tourism and marketing. I want to help our companies in these sectors discern the sense versus the nonsense of certain technological innovations. I place particular emphasis on developing an ambitious but realistically coherent narrative of creative innovation. In my research and services, I build this story together with our companies through analyses of business models and research on the contribution of different players in the economic eco-system.
I have 20 years of experience in research and service on topics such as digital transformation, creative innovation and business models. I took my first steps as scientific collaborator at Vlerick Business School where, on the one hand, I worked closely with international companies such as FedEx, Volvo, SAS Institute and Deloitte. On the other hand, I also got a taste for coaching SME leaders in their strategic development.
Since 2015, I have been a lecturer and researcher at Thomas More Hogeschool in my hometown of Mechelen. There, I was able to further develop my knowledge and competences by specialising in the media & entertainment sector and the world of experiences in general. I teach in the Media & Entertainment Business programme and am active as a researcher within the "Digital Media Experiences" team. Themes I have worked on include: business model innovation, user experience design, 360° video and immersive technologies for broadcasting. I am also regularly asked to supervise business model innovation workshops for entrepreneurs and SME leaders.