Sustainable development has become a common goal pursued by the entire world. How can we achieve sustainable development? This is a challenge we all face together. To address the various pain points in sustainable development, the International Conference on Service Science and Innovation 2024 (ICSSI 2024), jointly organized by the Service Science Society of Taiwan (S3TW) and the Service Design Research Center (SDRC of FJCU), was held under the theme of "Service Design for Sustainability." The conference was held at Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan, from July 23 to 26, 2024, and served as a pivotal platform for the convergence of sustainability and service science. Scholars from various fields are invited to participate in an exciting exchange, discussing how to design sustainable services through service design methods.
Academic Dialogue: Applying Service Design to Promote Sustainable Development | Paper Sessions
The ICSSI 2024 Conference opened with online paper presentations and attracted over 200 participants from around the world. The paper sessions comprised 12 tracks with 65 papers submitted by scholars from 9 countries. During the two-day session of presentations, scholars from various countries shared research ideas and findings related to various issues of sustainable development. Research topics ranged from product design in the circular economy to consumer behavior regarding green products, and research methods varied from case studies to empirical surveys. Whether in terms of the breadth of research topics or the depth of research methodologies, the presentations represented an excellent blend of academic rigor and practical application. The paper sessions not only facilitated cross-national academic exchange but also explored how to integrate corporate sustainability competitiveness with service innovation to create greater social and economic value. In addition to paper presentations, the conference included 1 service design workshop, 3 keynote speeches, 2 panel discussions, and a cultural tour highlighting Taiwan’s cultural and sustainability practice.
Creative Ideation: Co-Creating a Sustainable Future through Design Thinking | Service Design Workshop
The workshop was led by Professor Fei-Fei Cheng from National Chung Hsing University. It utilized Service Design methods to help participants explore innovative, human-centered sustainable solutions. The workshop emphasized collaborative creation among participants, using Service Design tools to address real sustainability issues. This approach provided attendees with a deeper understanding of how to implement sustainability concepts through Design Thinking and facilitated cross-disciplinary exchange, opening new possibilities for future sustainable service design. Participants in this workshop included designers and instructors familiar with service design, as well as beginners who were new to the service design methods. However, through the discussions and interactions in this workshop, new sparks of innovative ideas were generated.
Insight into the Future: Service Innovation Amid Sustainability Challenges | Keynote Speeches
The keynote speeches featured notable figures including Chairman Eugene Chien of the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, Professor Saif Benjaafar from the University of Michigan, and President Yi-Chen Lan of Fu Jen Catholic University. Chairman Chien emphasized the necessity of energy transition in response to global climate change challenges and the crucial role of renewable energy and international cooperation. Professor Benjaafar discussed the special applications and value of the sharing economy, highlighting the need for new research models to address current research issues and proposing new directions for future research. President Lan focused on the sustainability of service systems and highlighted the critical role of service activities in advancing ESG principles in the modern economy. Through three engaging keynote speeches, attendees gained a deeper understanding of the development trends of ESG, its application methods, and how it operates within service systems.
Cross-Border Exchange: New Ideas Driving Sustainable Competitiveness | Panel Discussions
Panel discussion 1 was moderated by Professor Houn-Gee Chen from Tunghai University. Panelists included Masaaki Mochimaru, President of the Society of Serviceology of Japan; Norani Nordin, President of the Serviceology Society Malaysia; San-Yih Huang, President of the Service Science Society of Taiwan; and Mr. Fadah Hsieh from the SaylingWen Cultural & Educational Foundation and ISee Taiwan Foundation. The discussion focused on "Service Science in Asia: Development and Collaboration," exploring how service science can address global economic uncertainties and the rapid advancement of AI technology. The panel discussion examined training models for service science talent and employment market opportunities in Asia, proposing potential and challenges for future cross-regional collaboration. Panel discussion 2 was also moderated by Professor Houn-Gee Chen. Panelists included Director Charlie Liu from Giant Manufacturing Co.; Sustainability Officer Grace Liu from Acer's Corporate Sustainability Officer; and Director Ching-Yao Tsai from Taipei City Hospital Zhongxing Branch. This panel discussion centered on "Creating Sustainable Corporate Influence and Service Innovation," sharing challenges and opportunities in promoting sustainable competitiveness and the role of service innovation in sustainable operations. It emphasized how companies can enhance their sustainability capabilities through value co-creation.
Exploring Taiwan: Experiencing the Sustainable Beauty of Local Culture | Cultural Tour
On the last day, the ICSSI 2024 committee arranged a cultural tour that showcased Taiwan’s local culture and sustainability practices. In the morning, participants visited the Yingge Ceramics Museum in New Taipei City. Not only displays Taiwan’s exquisite craftsmanship but also emphasizes its sustainable production processes, from sourcing local clay to implementing eco-friendly manufacturing methods, reflecting a strong commitment to environmental protection. In the afternoon, the tour led participants to visit Sanxia Old Street, the Sanxia Zushi Temple, and the Indigo Dyeing Workshop. The workshop uses natural plant-based dyes for its handcrafted indigo dyeing, allowing participants to appreciate the sustainable potential of traditional crafts and the importance of cultural preservation. Through a full day of cultural experience tours, participants not only gained a deeper understanding of Taiwanese culture but also had the opportunity to experience the production of sustainable products, directly reflecting the theme of this conference.
Sustainability × Service Design: A Human-Centered Sustainable Conference
ICSSI 2024 implemented human-centered principles of service design from the planning stage, incorporating the conference theme's characteristics and the expectations and challenges of domestic and international participants. The highlights included:
Offline to Online Conference: The integration of physical and virtual meetings through the Gather Town allowed global participants to engage seamlessly in both online and offline interactions.
Sustainability Game: The "Animal Guardians: The Card Collecting Adventure!" game encouraged participants to collect endangered animal cards through activities, enhancing awareness of SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) in an educational and entertaining way.
Sustainable Cultural Tour: Participants visited the Yingge Ceramics Museum and Sanxia Indigo Dyeing Workshop, showcasing Taiwan's integration of traditional culture with sustainable development practices and providing international scholars with insights into local culture.
Carbon Reduction Dashboard and Environmental Actions: A dynamic carbon reduction dashboard displayed the conference's carbon footprint in real-time, and plastic reduction measures were implemented to strengthen participants' awareness and practice of environmental protection.