• K. C. Wang, “A Process View of SWOT Analysis”, on the JournalsISSS Proceedings as Abstract and PlDF versions, and on the CDROM as paper #26;
• Michael G. Norton, “Japan’s Eco-towns – Industrial Clusters or Local Innovation Systems?”, on the JournalsISSS Proceedings as Abstract and PDF versions; and on the CDROM as paper #657; and
• Takafumi Nakamura and Kyoichi Kijima, “Systems of System Failures: Meta System Methodology to Prevent System Failures”, on the JournalsISSS Proceedings as Abstract and PDF versions, and on the CDROM as paper #684.

You can access the abstracts and journals readily at JournalsISSS Proceedings. If you’re planning to attend the meeting in person, I encourage you at least read the abstracts (only a paragraph or two), and/or read papers you find interesting in depth. Pre-reading should deepen your appreciation of the author’s work, and gives an opportunity to get beyond the superficial.

In my role a SIG chair, I’ve clustered this diverse group of papers together, possibly described in a theme of “meshing models”.

• K.C. Wang — is this his fourth paper with SABI? — has developed an interested recombination of the SWOT model as SO / ST / WO / WT, and integrated it with Chinese five elements theory. In our discussion, it might be productive to make the model a little more concrete with a discussion of some examples. In addition, potential dissonances between SWOT (as a primarily competitive model) and five elements theory (as rather ecological) may be addressed.
• Michael Norton revisits the 1997 thinking behind eco-towns (e.g. recycling-oriented society) and industrial clusters (i.e. government policies introduced in 2001, influenced by Michael Porter’s research). With a recent interest in innovation, the compatibility and overlap across the two approaches is considered. Drawing on the above comments for K.C. Wang, we may encourage a discussion on cyclical thinking (e.g. recycling) versus growth (i.e. are there only positive effects from industrial clusters, and do they ever run down?)
• Takafumi Nakamura and Kyoichi Kijima cross Van Gigch’s meta system design process with Michael Jackson’s System of System Methodologies. Their focus is combining the two models to pre-empt system failures. Building on the discussions above on Wang and on Norton, the dimensionality of problem to be solved may be discussed. If we think in terms of cycles rather than just static systems, perhaps robustness and/or the ability to redesign might be given greater weight. (Is that a postmodern thought?)

The above synthesis is just one person’s approach to our joint content. If you would contribute some comments below, either along this trajectory or on one of your own choosing, we can extend our knowledge from the face-to-face meeting to the electronic world via the Internet.