London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Go digital with empathy to unlock the post-pandemic future

Go digital with empathy to unlock the post-pandemic future

Even in an era driven by algorithms and data, there is value in looking at the business world from a human angle. Hong Kong needs citywide digital literacy and integration of design into non-design disciplines from a young age.

Syed Munir Khasru’s article“Digital evolution key to Asean’s post-pandemic recovery” (June 4) echoes the call for digitalisation from our city’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are facing increased competition from within the region.

The power of digitalisation has enabled us to work flexibly and have online access to finance, health care, education and entertainment. Blockchain-based non-fungible tokens (NFTs) underpinning authentic ownership of valuables have disrupted the commercialisation of art and real estate. Many such novel ways of work and social behaviour will stay after the pandemic.

In the era of artificial intelligence, businesses of all sizes still need to empathetically connect with customers. They need knowledge to navigate the e-business ecosystem and convincing narratives to win customers. They also need agile retail strategies and to offer customers a seamless online and offline experience.

Specialisation, localisation and different cultures and states of play have led to various digital strategies and practices for accessing different markets. Current education needs to better prime students and the workforce with a befitting mindset and skill set to face the new work-life realities.

Going digital also requires a strategic embrace of human-centred design. Noted Journalist and social anthropologist Gillian Tett’s new book, Anthro-Vision, is a timely reminder of the value of looking at the business world from a human angle in an era driven by algorithms and data. Facing a diversity of people and cultures, complexity of sociopolitical and economic structures, and uncertainty over the future, those who can innovate fast with empathy in delivering meaningful offerings will win hearts.

Policy support for SMEs aside, digitalisation ought to be an integral part of training on entrepreneurship, innovation management and good business design. There is a dearth of “business of digital” knowledge, as reflected in comments by founders of emerging brands at recent design industry roundtables held in partnership with PMQ. There have been calls for better coordinated policies and support to design and implement practice-oriented learning platforms and go-to-market programmes, to tap regional and overseas market opportunities.

A smart city needs to be a human city. We need citywide digital literacy and integration of design into non-design disciplines from a young age. It is time to step up practice-oriented research, VPET or vocational and professional education and training, and advanced learning, to meet the competence needs of business and industry. Only the fittest will survive, game on for those who can turn pain into gain.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×