By Gretchen Parker

What are the most exciting emerging technologies? How are the key players adapting to the demands of various global markets?

These are questions Dean Ernest J. Wilson III tackled as the moderator of a panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference “Shaping the Future” on April 26. Wilson led a discussion among panelists Laurent Gil, president and CEO of Viewdle; Michael Gough, vice president of Adobe Experience Design; and Hal Varian, chief economist at Google (video here).

Wilson posed several queries to launch the conversation: “How do companies today design genuinely global strategies to take advantage of the kind of dynamics… where innovation takes place all the time, at all elements of our society?” And: “How does one set up the institutional structures inside organizations and inside companies to create incentives to go out and look globally for these new technologies?

The Milken Institute summarized the discussion this way: “Today technology firms need fresh strategies for specific segments of the global marketplace. Markets are maturing throughout the developed world; the ability to keep sales thriving in North America, Europe, Japan and South Korea hinges on pushing the boundaries of rich multimedia experiences, super-fast broadband and new ways to interact with computing and integrate it into daily life. Meanwhile, there are vast new markets to tap in the developing world, but these consumers demand products with low costs and heightened durability and reliability under more adverse conditions. The tech firms that maintain an edge are focusing on developing new products tailored to today's media-savvy consumer — from on-demand content and online software, richer multimedia and changing interfaces to computing functions that are integrated into cars and homes behind the scenes. At the same time, these companies must find ways to package more established products to appeal to customers in China, India, Latin America and the Middle East.”

Watch Dean Wilson’s “Emerging Technologies, Global Strategies” panel discussion here.