Dr. James (“Jim”)  C. Spohrer
Director, IBM UPward
University Programs worldwide, accelerating regional development

Innovation Champion (http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/servicescience/)
ISSIP (http://www.issip.org)

Contact:

IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120 USA
spohrer@us.ibm.com 408-927-1928 (office)
spohrer@gmail.com 408-829-3112 (iPhone)
Skype: james.clinton.spohrer
Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Spohrer
Blog: http://www.service-science.info
Slides: http://www.slideshare.net/spohrer
LinkedIn: Jim Spohrer
Twitter: @JimSpohrer

Bio:

Dr. James (“Jim”) C. Spohrer is IBM Innovation Champion and Director of IBM University Programs (IBM UP). Jim works to align IBM and universities globally for innovation amplification.   Previously, Jim helped to found IBM’s first Service Research group, the global Service Science community, and was founding CTO of IBM’s Venture Capital Relations Group in Silicon Valley.  During the 1990’s while at Apple Computer, he was awarded Apple’s Distinguished Engineer Scientist and Technology title for his work on next generation learning platforms.  Jim has a PhD in Computer Science/Artificial Intelligence from Yale, and BS in Physics from MIT. His current research priorities include applying service science to study nested, networked holistic service systems, such as cities and universities. He has more than ninety publications and been awarded nine patents.

IBM University Programs (the 6 R’s of IBM UP) include:
1. Research (ibm.com/university/awards)
2. Readiness (ibm.com/developerworks/university/academicinitiative/)
3. Recruiting (ibm.com/jobs or ibm.com/developerworks/university/students/)
4. Revenue (ibm.com/education and ibm.com/systems)
5. Responsibility (ibm.com/responsibility, ibm.com/ibm/ondemandcommunity and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Community_Grid)
6. Regions (ibm.com/partnerworld/isv/startup)
Local “On Campus IBMers” (where available) help with the above…

IBM UP Priorities  include:
1. Smarter Cities & Service Innovation
2. Cloud & Analytics/DEEP QA, including High Performance Systems & Cybersecurity, Social Business
3. Growth Markets universities linked to Developed Markets universities to accelerate regional innovation
Doing more with less is the theme throughout business and societal systems, and to do this sustainably year over year…
Doing more with less decision-making & investment discipline: Run-Transform-Innovate or Iterate-Imitate-Innovate (I-cubed)
I-cubed investment discipline steadily automates “Iterate” (5%/yr cost cut) lowering costs, to invest more in “Imitate & Innovate”
I-cubed is Moore’s Law equivalent for business & societal systems (smarter service systems improve as IT capabilities grow)
I-cubed supports escaping the pull of the past and escaping the commodity trap

View of University Priorities  include:
1. Knowledge transfer (teaching) – student tuition & government loans
2. Knowledge creation (research) – government grants & corporate partners
3. Knowledge application (entrepreneurship) – local incentives & alumni donations
4. Knowledge integration (bridge silos) – lowers costs without compromising depth
University business model is evolving (to fund the above, and continuously renew physical infrastructure)…
Some universities, governments, and businesses are adopting I-cubed investment discipline to do more with less year over year.
I-cubed investment discipline can be applied to education as a service system for continuous improvement

“Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them.”
Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician