They are systems that ensure interoperability across various platforms and services. They enable seamless discovery, information exchange, and end-to-end transactions, regardless of the specific apps or services being used. They replace closed, proprietary platforms with an ecosystem where competition, innovation, and collaboration can thrive. To understand their power, let’s consider a practical example. Imagine a ride-hailing app that shows all available transportation options — taxis, buses, trains, scooters, and even bicycles — not just those from a single provider like Uber. This would bring all suppliers and consumers together in one app. This transparency and inclusivity is not limited to transport. It can apply to commerce, education, healthcare, green energy, and countless other sectors.
Innovative Open Networks Powering Green Energy and the NHS
6 Aug 2024
15:00 -16:30
Times are shown in local time.
Open to: By invitation only
Nesta
58 Victoria Embankment
London
EC4 YODS
United Kingdom
Join Dr Pramod Varma for a discussion about transaction networks to power the green energy transformation
On 6 August, Dr Pramod Varma – chief architect of India’s digital transformation – will discuss with a group of 10 UK innovators the potential of open transaction networks to power the green energy transformation and the reform of the NHS at the offices of Nesta. This is a great opportunity to brainstorm with one of the world leaders of digital transformation.
Last month, Cambridge Judge Business School, in collaboration with the Bennet Institute, the Centre for Science and Policy and Amazon Web Services, showcased the revolutionary potential of open networks entitled “Unlocking Growth and Prosperity: Open Networks and AI for the Future Economy“.
Attendees recognised that open networks could have a substantial transformational impact on the UK economy. The World Economic Forum has also recently featured the transformative and collaboration potential of these technologies.
Carlos Montes, Lead of the Innovation Hub for Prosperity at Cambridge Judge Business School’s Centre for India and Global Business, wrote a primer entitled “Open transaction networks: the hidden key to growth and prosperity?” on open networks at the prompt of Diane Coyle of the Bennet Institute.
Please note that registration is by invitation only.
Speakers
Pramod Varma
Chief Architect of India’s “Aadhaar” project and creator of UPI
Pramod, chief architect of India’s “Aadhaar” project and creator of UPI, digital locker, and eSign, sits on tech advisory boards for various Indian government bodies.
With a Master’s and PhD in computer science, plus a second master’s in applied mathematics, he has over 25 years of experience in internet-scale distributed architectures and intelligent systems.
Currently serving as CTO at EkStep foundation, Pramod continues to drive innovation in technology and governance.
Carlos Montes
Lead – Cambridge Innovation Hub for Prosperity
Carlos leads initiatives to scale market-based innovations through impact investment and provide practical support to increase capacity and integrity in governments. He has worked for international institutions, governments, and corporations such as the World Bank, European Commission, Cisco, and Accenture. In addition, he spent 8 years in a social innovation lab for health-related behavioural change in East London. Carlos has also held roles as an Associate of the UK Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Director of Evaluations of EU Programs worldwide.
He led a €10bn evaluation for the European Council of Ministers and worked as an economist at the World Bank and Central Bank of Peru. Carlos holds postgraduate degrees in Economics from Yale and Columbia Universities.
Email: c.montes@jbs.cam.ac.uk
Agenda
15:00 – 15:45
Green energy
How open transaction networks can contribute to achieving the energy goals outlined, offering a path to upgrade the UK’s energy grid in a way that is more agile, responsive, and aligned with the goals of democratising energy production and consumption, all of this achieved at minimum cost.
- Accelerating Grid Digitalisation
- Enhancing Local Power Generation, micro-grids and community engagement
- Enabling peer-to-peer energy trading, open networks can empower consumers to become ‘prosumers’
- Transparent, dynamic pricing mechanisms enabled by open networks
- Enhancing Regulatory Oversight: provide regulators with real-time, granular data on energy transactions
- Facilitating Clean Energy Investment: By creating a more open and efficient energy market
- Enabling Flexible Energy Systems: facilitate the integration of energy storage and demand response systems
15:45 – 16:30
Healthcare: how can open transaction networks contribute to fix the NHS?
How open transaction networks can contribute to achieving healthcare goals, offering a path to modernise the UK’s healthcare system in a way that is more agile, responsive, and aligned with the goals of improving access and quality of care, all of this achieved at minimum cost.
- Improving access to care and appointment booking: implement a UHI-like open network for appointment booking across NHS services
- Accelerating NHS digitalisation: open transaction networks can serve as the backbone for comprehensive NHS digitalisation; by implementing a UHI-like infrastructure, the NHS can rapidly advance its digital capabilities, improving efficiency and connectivity across all health services
- Modernising the NHS and empowering patients: adapt the NHS app using open network principles to allow patients to access their health records, manage appointments, and receive personalised health information across different NHS services
- Integrating health and social care: develop an open network to facilitate data sharing and coordinated care between health and social care services, focusing initially on improving hospital discharge processes and reducing unnecessary hospital stays
- Supporting community-based care: implement an open network to connect local healthcare providers, including GPs, pharmacists, and community health services, facilitating easier referrals and information sharing at the community level