Trust is the new competitive frontier for the retail sector and its supply chains, according to QUT’s Cisco Chair in Trusted Retail, European expert Dr Nadine Ostern, who started at the university this month as part of a $3 million QUT-Cisco partnership.
Dr Ostern’s new role at QUT will see her lead research into retail trust and logistics innovation at the Centre for Future Enterprise in the Faculty of Business and Law, including a team of post-doctoral research fellows and PhD students.
She is an expert in emerging technology including AI and blockchain, and comes to QUT from the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland and its Institute of Digital Technology Management.
She has also been a postdoctoral researcher and interim professor at three German institutions – the Philipp University of Marburg, the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, and the Technical University of Darmstadt.
Dr Ostern said her role would take a positive lens on trust and how it could be used for competitive advantage, in contrast to the common focus that consumer trust is something already broken and in need of repair.
“Our digital environments are data-hungry and filled with sophisticated digital solutions which has created a tremendous shift,” Dr Ostern said.
“Now trust, not technology, is the key bottleneck to progression.
“However, the trust literacy in our economy is low and we are only at the infancy of seeing dedicated trust professionals like Trust Designers or even Chief Trust Officers.
“I will work to increase trust literacy, which involves capabilities to actively build, measure, and manage truly justified trust with customers."
Dr Ostern said the trust issue was particularly evident in the fast-moving retail sector where consumers were increasingly exposed to advanced data and video analytics, cashierless stores and biometric-based transactions such as facial recognition payments.
“Imagine video analytics being able to detect that you need a sales assistant, or a retailer of choice knows about your allergies and informs you at checkout about a potentially harmful item. Although these scenarios are technically feasible, companies – and especially retailers – are not yet able to fully embrace these unique opportunities built on trusting relationships.”
The $3 million partnership between the Centre for Future Enterprise and tech giant Cisco, which includes Dr Ostern’s appointment, will establish applied research capacity dedicated to better understanding the impact of trust in the retail sector and its related supply chains.
The Chair is part of a Cisco led National Innovation Industry Network (NIIN), an industry-university alliance dedicated to realising digital opportunities and tackling industry challenges.
“Cisco is looking forward to Nadine’s contribution to our network,” said Wes Sylvester, Cisco’s global Vice President, Industry Solutions Group.
“We are mindful that retail industry leaders will have to prioritise the security of their data and infrastructure as they innovate on behalf of their customers.”
Dr Ostern will work closely with academics in the Centre for Future Enterprise and her research team will benefit from the industry engagement capacity of Innovation Central Brisbane (ICB).
ICB is a global collaboration between QUT and Cisco, providing a platform to connect students with industry, technology engineers and researchers to accelerate digital skills and innovation through engagement, design and rapid prototyping.
Located at QUT’s Gardens Point campus, the ICB will be a national sandbox for retail innovation, featuring Cisco’s state-of-the-art technology, hybrid board meeting zones, co-working spaces, and a showcase of the latest market retail technology solutions.
“The vision of this Chair combined with the excellent facilitating environment – at QUT, with Cisco and all involved industry partners – makes this a globally unique opportunity full of empirical evidence, exciting research questions and real-world impact,” Dr Ostern said.
Cisco’s Director Education and Strategic Industries in Australia and New Zealand, Reg Johnson, said Dr Ostern was joining QUT as the Cisco Research Chair at an important time with the evolution and expansion of the NIIN.
“Her background in emerging technologies such as AI and blockchain, as well as her familiarity in engaging with and impacting large organisations, makes Nadine the ideal addition to our NIIN Research Chair program,” he said.
Professor Mark Harvey, QUT Vice President (Business Development), said there were mutual benefits for both partners.
“Cisco and QUT share the same ambition – aligning technology and applied research for the creation of real-world impact,” he said.
“We are very much excited about the Cisco Chair in Trusted Retail, and the benefits it will create for all involved organisations, students and academics.”
QUT Media contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, media@qut.edu.au
- After hours, 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au
