Social Innovation Application in Aviation with the Example of Etihad Airways
by Oğuzhan ÖZYILMAZ
The concept of social innovation, especially in the rapidly evolving technological landscape, is crucial in addressing societal needs. In aviation, the social innovation process focuses on the use of experiential applications to solve problems. It involves the creation of new ideas, production, and raising awareness to meet the needs of society. In the aviation industry, the social innovation process utilizes experimental applications to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability.
This process can be divided into three stages: idea, development, and implementation. Before moving to the implementation phase, the first two stages focus on developing the concept through experiential applications. The concept stage involves generating and evaluating ideas. Experiential applications play a valuable role in this process by offering opportunities for applied learning and problem-solving. Instead of relying on traditional methods like lectures or reading, experiential applications encourage active participation in activities or projects related to the problem at hand. These applications provide a hands-on learning experience and promote active involvement.
Experiential applications are widely used across various industries, including aviation, healthcare, and education, and have proven to be successful in fields such as science and technology. They represent a shift from theoretical learning to practical engagement, fostering innovation and development.
An example of an experiential application in the aviation industry is a program that allows employees to work on the ground at an airport, interact with passengers, and observe the challenges and opportunities within the industry firsthand. Such hands-on learning can provide valuable insights, as employees are able to see the problem from a different perspective and develop creative solutions based on their first-hand experiences. This process can lead to the emergence of new ideas for social innovation.
Another experiential application that could be beneficial in the social innovation process within aviation is the use of simulations or models. These tools provide employees with a safe space to test different approaches or technologies in a controlled environment, allowing them to experiment and learn from their mistakes. Overall, experiential applications can be an effective way to encourage creativity and critical thinking within the aviation industry, leading to meaningful and effective social innovations.
Experiential applications also involve the implementation of training programs focused on teamwork, where team members collaborate on projects, sharing information about what works best for each individual’s strengths and weaknesses when working with others who possess different skills. These exercises help teams learn how to collaborate most effectively, ensuring that everyone feels comfortable sharing knowledge about what works best for them when given an opportunity.
This demonstrates the significant importance of experiential applications for society and the environment. Now, let’s examine how Etihad Airways has exemplified social innovation.
The national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, has partnered with the Singaporean food technology company Lumitics to experiment with the use of computer vision and machine learning to reduce food waste on Etihad flights. The partnership will enable Etihad and Lumitics to track uneaten economy class meals on Etihad’s flights using blended data highlighting food consumption and waste patterns across the network. The analysis of the results will help reduce food waste, improve meal planning, and lower operational costs. This project is believed to have the potential to support Etihad’s efforts to reduce food waste while enhancing guest experience by enabling better in-flight planning. Lumitics’ product, Insight Lite, will track uneaten meals once the plane lands at the airport. Using AI and image recognition, Insight Lite will be able to identify and distinguish the types and quantities of uneaten meals based on the design of the meal wrappers, without requiring manual intervention.
References
Havacılık Sektöründe Havalimanlarının Dijital Dönüşümü | İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi Dış Ticaret Enstitüsü Working Paper Series Dergisi
Hacettepe Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi | Sosyal İnovasyonun Ve Sosyal Girişimciliğin Sosyal Hizmet Mesleğinin Geleceğindeki Rolü
Sivil Havacılıkta Yenilikçi Projeler | BThaber
Singapur Hava Yolları’nda Bir Yenilik Daha | Airway Post
Pictures: pexels.com, collinsaerospace.com
