The ongoing pandemic left the organisers of Connecta no other choice this year: The event on digitalisation, which is well-known beyond the borders of Switzerland, was once again held exclusively online. And once again offered all participants insights into the near future.

Unfortunately, the participants of Connecta 2021, which took place from 5 to 6 October, once again had to do without the face-to-face encounter in Bern. However, this was the only shortcoming. The organising team had cleverly added further elements to the digital formats already tested last year.

The success of the second digital edition of Connecta was made possible by the renewed participation of the conceptual partners. They once again took the risk of supporting a digital format. And so, once again this year, some of the most renowned educational and research institutions contributed with their best experts. These included the Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences HSLU, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences HWZ, the University of Fribourg and the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Special thanks go to them from the organising team.

Different formats

Around 60 experts passed on their specialist knowledge to the participants in various ways.

• In Connecta Talk, Aileen Zumstein and Erik Thurnherr interviewed selected speakers not only about their area of expertise, but also introduced the people behind it ch/connecta-talk.
• The Connecta Blog already offered many specialist articles on topics from the fields of marketing, retail, e-commerce and digitalisation ch/connecta-blog.
• And on Connecta TV, Katrin-Cécile Ziegler discussed the latest developments from the world of banking and retail with her guests in two TV programmes ch/connecta-tv.

From sustainability, FinTech apps to AI

Thematically, Connecta once again offered a broad spectrum of topics: As diverse and colourful as digitalisation itself. How do the Swiss prefer to shop online? And do Swiss online retailers know and meet the needs of their customers in terms of sustainability? The participants learned about this in the presentation of two studies. One panel was dedicated to developments in the banking sector and the influence of FinTechs. And the topic of AI was not neglected either. Whether as an instrument to improve the supply chain, to reduce returns or as an important building block in the optimisation of chatbots. However, digitalisation is not only about technology, but also about people. And so the participants also learned more about the mindset of the “econs” or how it can be possible to build trust in chatbots.

To read and watch

Those who did not have time to follow Connecta live can rejoice. Because the organisers are making all the talks, podcasts and texts available online. Simply visit the Connecta and gather important insights and inspiration for your own work!

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