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Over the past decade, Asian companies have been launching accelerated and wide-ranging digital transformation initiatives. This has enabled some of them to become leading national and even international players, as well as digital pioneers in their respective industries. This case examines the successful digital transformation undertaken by the Chinese company Midea, one of the world’s leading home appliance manufacturers. By digitally transforming the company, Midea improved its financial performance and reshaped its business on a wider scale. While many cases that address digital transformation focus on the early phases of the process, Midea’s case illustrates a successfully completed digital business transformation. This allows participants to have an overview of the entire digital transformation journey and see what the potential outcomes might be.

In the wake of the Paris Agreement and commitments by the EU, many nations committed to reducing their carbon emissions to zero by 2050 as a response to climate change. In this environment, pressure on the shipping industry, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases (up to 4%), was mounting. In December 2018, Maersk, the world’s largest container operator with a market share of over 20%, pledged to have net-zero carbon ships by 2030 and net-zero carbon operations by 2050, driving innovation in new fuels and technologies. Furthermore, in February 2021 Maersk led the way by announcing its plan to launch a container ship capable of running on e-methanol or bio-methanol by 2023. Would other industry players follow suit? How would they address the decarbonization agenda for the shipping industry? After general discussion, participants adopt the roles of competitors – described in the five accompanying short cases – to identify which key strategies they should take to decarbonize shipping: 1. Reduce the cost gap between new green fuels and marine fuel oil by involving both governments and associations (carbon tax, carbon credits or subsidies). 2. Decide which fuel(s)/scrubber technology/propulsion method to proceed with for future builds and existing fleets. 3. Determine how to rally the industry around their choices through competitor and value chain alliances.

In the wake of the Paris Agreement and commitments by the EU, many nations committed to reducing their carbon emissions to zero by 2050 as a response to climate change. In this environment, pressure on the shipping industry, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases (up to 4%), was mounting. In December 2018, Maersk, the world’s largest container operator with a market share of over 20%, pledged to have net-zero carbon ships by 2030 and net-zero carbon operations by 2050, driving innovation in new fuels and technologies. Furthermore, in February 2021 Maersk led the way by announcing its plan to launch a container ship capable of running on e-methanol or bio-methanol by 2023. Would other industry players follow suit? How would they address the decarbonization agenda for the shipping industry? After general discussion, participants adopt the roles of competitors – described in the five accompanying short cases – to identify which key strategies they should take to decarbonize shipping: 1. Reduce the cost gap between new green fuels and marine fuel oil by involving both governments and associations (carbon tax, carbon credits or subsidies). 2. Decide which fuel(s)/scrubber technology/propulsion method to proceed with for future builds and existing fleets. 3. Determine how to rally the industry around their choices through competitor and value chain alliances.

In the wake of the Paris Agreement and commitments by the EU, many nations committed to reducing their carbon emissions to zero by 2050 as a response to climate change. In this environment, pressure on the shipping industry, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases (up to 4%), was mounting. In December 2018, Maersk, the world’s largest container operator with a market share of over 20%, pledged to have net-zero carbon ships by 2030 and net-zero carbon operations by 2050, driving innovation in new fuels and technologies. Furthermore, in February 2021 Maersk led the way by announcing its plan to launch a container ship capable of running on e-methanol or bio-methanol by 2023. Would other industry players follow suit? How would they address the decarbonization agenda for the shipping industry? After general discussion, participants adopt the roles of competitors – described in the five accompanying short cases – to identify which key strategies they should take to decarbonize shipping: 1. Reduce the cost gap between new green fuels and marine fuel oil by involving both governments and associations (carbon tax, carbon credits or subsidies). 2. Decide which fuel(s)/scrubber technology/propulsion method to proceed with for future builds and existing fleets. 3. Determine how to rally the industry around their choices through competitor and value chain alliances.

In the wake of the Paris Agreement and commitments by the EU, many nations committed to reducing their carbon emissions to zero by 2050 as a response to climate change. In this environment, pressure on the shipping industry, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases (up to 4%), was mounting. In December 2018, Maersk, the world’s largest container operator with a market share of over 20%, pledged to have net-zero carbon ships by 2030 and net-zero carbon operations by 2050, driving innovation in new fuels and technologies. Furthermore, in February 2021 Maersk led the way by announcing its plan to launch a container ship capable of running on e-methanol or bio-methanol by 2023. Would other industry players follow suit? How would they address the decarbonization agenda for the shipping industry? After general discussion, participants adopt the roles of competitors – described in the five accompanying short cases – to identify which key strategies they should take to decarbonize shipping: 1. Reduce the cost gap between new green fuels and marine fuel oil by involving both governments and associations (carbon tax, carbon credits or subsidies). 2. Decide which fuel(s)/scrubber technology/propulsion method to proceed with for future builds and existing fleets. 3. Determine how to rally the industry around their choices through competitor and value chain alliances.

In the wake of the Paris Agreement and commitments by the EU, many nations committed to reducing their carbon emissions to zero by 2050 as a response to climate change. In this environment, pressure on the shipping industry, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases (up to 4%), was mounting. In December 2018, Maersk, the world’s largest container operator with a market share of over 20%, pledged to have net-zero carbon ships by 2030 and net-zero carbon operations by 2050, driving innovation in new fuels and technologies. Furthermore, in February 2021 Maersk led the way by announcing its plan to launch a container ship capable of running on e-methanol or bio-methanol by 2023. Would other industry players follow suit? How would they address the decarbonization agenda for the shipping industry? After general discussion, participants adopt the roles of competitors – described in the five accompanying short cases – to identify which key strategies they should take to decarbonize shipping: 1. Reduce the cost gap between new green fuels and marine fuel oil by involving both governments and associations (carbon tax, carbon credits or subsidies). 2. Decide which fuel(s)/scrubber technology/propulsion method to proceed with for future builds and existing fleets. 3. Determine how to rally the industry around their choices through competitor and value chain alliances.

In the wake of the Paris Agreement and commitments by the EU, many nations committed to reducing their carbon emissions to zero by 2050 as a response to climate change. In this environment, pressure on the shipping industry, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases (up to 4%), was mounting. In December 2018, Maersk, the world’s largest container operator with a market share of over 20%, pledged to have net-zero carbon ships by 2030 and net-zero carbon operations by 2050, driving innovation in new fuels and technologies. Furthermore, in February 2021 Maersk led the way by announcing its plan to launch a container ship capable of running on e-methanol or bio-methanol by 2023. Would other industry players follow suit? How would they address the decarbonization agenda for the shipping industry? After general discussion, participants adopt the roles of competitors – described in the five accompanying short cases – to identify which key strategies they should take to decarbonize shipping: 1. Reduce the cost gap between new green fuels and marine fuel oil by involving both governments and associations (carbon tax, carbon credits or subsidies). 2. Decide which fuel(s)/scrubber technology/propulsion method to proceed with for future builds and existing fleets. 3. Determine how to rally the industry around their choices through competitor and value chain alliances.

When SASCAR was acquired by Michelin in 2014, it was barely staying afloat, selling telematic services on price. The case describes how the new CEO and CMO turned SASCAR around in five years. Without explicitly referring to it, they used customer-centric principles: they focused on customer benefits (value conception), achieved buy-in from customers and third parties (value delivery) and got beyond the fixed-pie mindset (value capture). The results were startling: despite the growing competition, SASCAR evolved from a money losing, “me-too” local fleet management firm into a profitable leader in a growing market. The case goes on to discuss issues that the company will need to address, including performance-based business models, a branding strategy, international expansion and relations with Michelin.

For the past ten years, dacadoo, a healthtech and insurtech start-up based in Switzerland, has been developing and operating its digital health engagement solution, including mobile applications, exploring ways to monetize the patented and AI-based health score it developed. Dacadoo has a dual objective: It aims to help users achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles with its proprietary “health score” and a digital health engagement solution, while at the same time it seeks to drive digital transformation of the insurance industry, with a focus on life and health insurers. As dacadoo has moved from being a start-up into a high-growth phase, this case series explores which business model(s) will help the company grow to its full potential. In 2010, Peter Ohnemus, a serial entrepreneur who had already built sixteen companies, took some well-deserved time off after the sale of his last successful venture. During this “between ventures” break in Verbier, he noticed his health had improved after two weeks of ski touring, but he could not quantify exactly how much he had progressed. That is when a new idea came to him: How to score human health holistically, encompassing physical health, mental wellbeing and lifestyle. Peter came down from the mountains and started a new company, which led to dacadoo.

For the past ten years, dacadoo, a healthtech and insurtech start-up based in Switzerland, has been developing and operating its digital health engagement solution, including mobile applications, exploring ways to monetize the patented and AI-based health score it developed. Dacadoo has a dual objective: It aims to help users achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles with its proprietary “health score” and a digital health engagement solution, while at the same time it seeks to drive digital transformation of the insurance industry, with a focus on life and health insurers. As dacadoo has moved from being a start-up into a high-growth phase, this case series explores which business model(s) will help the company grow to its full potential. In 2010, Peter Ohnemus, a serial entrepreneur who had already built sixteen companies, took some well-deserved time off after the sale of his last successful venture. During this “between ventures” break in Verbier, he noticed his health had improved after two weeks of ski touring, but he could not quantify exactly how much he had progressed. That is when a new idea came to him: How to score human health holistically, encompassing physical health, mental wellbeing and lifestyle. Peter came down from the mountains and started a new company, which led to dacadoo.

For the past ten years, dacadoo, a healthtech and insurtech start-up based in Switzerland, has been developing and operating its digital health engagement solution, including mobile applications, exploring ways to monetize the patented and AI-based health score it developed. Dacadoo has a dual objective: It aims to help users achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles with its proprietary “health score” and a digital health engagement solution, while at the same time it seeks to drive digital transformation of the insurance industry, with a focus on life and health insurers. As dacadoo has moved from being a start-up into a high-growth phase, this case series explores which business model(s) will help the company grow to its full potential. In 2010, Peter Ohnemus, a serial entrepreneur who had already built sixteen companies, took some well-deserved time off after the sale of his last successful venture. During this “between ventures” break in Verbier, he noticed his health had improved after two weeks of ski touring, but he could not quantify exactly how much he had progressed. That is when a new idea came to him: How to score human health holistically, encompassing physical health, mental wellbeing and lifestyle. Peter came down from the mountains and started a new company, which led to dacadoo.