Format: Gastvortrag im Rahmen der CBS Guest Lectures
Referentin: Johanna Heyden, Head of Future Business & Cooperations bei Vodafone.
Themenfokus: Innovationsstrategie, Customer-Centricity und Künstliche Intelligenz im Telekommunikationsmarkt.
Kernbotschaft: Innovation erfordert klare Use Cases und konsequente Ausrichtung an Kundenbedürfnissen.
Praxisbezug: Direkter Einblick in strategische Entscheidungsprozesse eines internationalen Konzerns.
Unternehmensintegration: Gastvorträge ergänzen die praxisorientierte Ausbildung in den Business-Studiengängen der CBS.
Learning from Leading Industry Experts
Practice-oriented projects with external partners are an integral part of all study programs at CBS University of Applied Sciences. In the business programs, this practical focus is further strengthened through regular guest lectures by executives from management, consulting, and entrepreneurship.
On April 2, 2025, Johanna Heyden, Head of Future Business & Cooperations at Vodafone, visited CBS. In her role, she is responsible for strategic innovation fields and corporate partnerships, bringing extensive experience in developing future-oriented business models.
Her lecture provided insights into how innovation processes are structured, prioritized, and implemented under real market conditions within an international corporation.
The Lecture: Innovation Requires Clear Use Cases
The focus of the session was Vodafone’s innovation strategy and the question of how technological possibilities can be translated into viable business models.
One key message stood out: technology is often available — the real challenge lies in defining clear use cases and consistently aligning innovation with genuine customer needs.
Johanna Heyden emphasized that investments in infrastructure and technology within the telecommunications sector can quickly reach billions. This makes it all the more critical to evaluate innovations strategically and ensure their market viability.
Among the key innovation fields at Vodafone are:
Drone solutions for medical logistics
XR technologies such as Virtual, Augmented, and Extended Reality
Rich Messaging Services
Mobile payment solutions
Artificial Intelligence as a strategic lever in the telecommunications market
Particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Vodafone sees enormous transformative potential. At the same time, Heyden emphasized the importance of industry-wide standards in order to develop scalable and future-proof solutions.
Direct Exchange with Practice
Following the lecture, students had the opportunity to ask questions and gain concrete insights into decision-making processes at Vodafone.
A key takeaway for the students was that innovation is not merely a matter of talent — it is a capability that can be systematically developed and trained.
When asked which competencies today’s students and future graduates should bring, the answer was clear:
The right mindset
Openness to continuous learning
The ability to consistently think from the customer’s perspective
The lecture impressively demonstrated how strategic thinking, market understanding, and technological expertise must work together to enable sustainable innovation.
Systematically Integrating Corporate Practice into Academic Studies
The guest lecture by Vodafone exemplifies CBS’s structured commitment to practical relevance. Corporate collaborations are not occasional add-ons but an integral part of the study programs.
In our business programs, the integration of real-world corporate practice is systematically embedded through:
Business Projects addressing real strategic and operational challenges from partner companies
Regular guest lectures by executives and industry experts
Mandatory internships to apply academic competencies in a corporate context
Dual study formats with continuous integration into company structures
A network of over 1,300 partner companies across various industries
This structured integration enables students not only to analyze economic challenges but also to develop well-founded decisions under real market conditions.
With initiatives like this, CBS reinforces its commitment to closely linking business and academia and preparing students specifically for leadership roles in a globalized and sustainability-oriented economy.
Conclusion: Understanding Innovation Before Shaping It
Johanna Heyden’s guest lecture provided impressive insights into the complexity of innovation processes within a global telecommunications company and highlighted the importance of customer centricity, strategic thinking, and technological expertise.
For CBS students, the session offered more than just an inside look at Vodafone. It provided a realistic understanding of the mindsets and capabilities required in today’s corporate environment.
Das Wichtigste in Kürze
Format: Gastvortrag im Rahmen der CBS Guest Lectures
Referentin: Johanna Heyden, Head of Future Business & Cooperations bei Vodafone.
Themenfokus: Innovationsstrategie, Customer-Centricity und Künstliche Intelligenz im Telekommunikationsmarkt.
Kernbotschaft: Innovation erfordert klare Use Cases und konsequente Ausrichtung an Kundenbedürfnissen.
Praxisbezug: Direkter Einblick in strategische Entscheidungsprozesse eines internationalen Konzerns.
Unternehmensintegration: Gastvorträge ergänzen die praxisorientierte Ausbildung in den Business-Studiengängen der CBS.
Learning from Leading Industry Experts
Practice-oriented projects with external partners are an integral part of all study programs at CBS University of Applied Sciences. In the business programs, this practical focus is further strengthened through regular guest lectures by executives from management, consulting, and entrepreneurship.
On April 2, 2025, Johanna Heyden, Head of Future Business & Cooperations at Vodafone, visited CBS. In her role, she is responsible for strategic innovation fields and corporate partnerships, bringing extensive experience in developing future-oriented business models.
Her lecture provided insights into how innovation processes are structured, prioritized, and implemented under real market conditions within an international corporation.
The Lecture: Innovation Requires Clear Use Cases
The focus of the session was Vodafone’s innovation strategy and the question of how technological possibilities can be translated into viable business models.
One key message stood out: technology is often available — the real challenge lies in defining clear use cases and consistently aligning innovation with genuine customer needs.
Johanna Heyden emphasized that investments in infrastructure and technology within the telecommunications sector can quickly reach billions. This makes it all the more critical to evaluate innovations strategically and ensure their market viability.
Among the key innovation fields at Vodafone are:
Drone solutions for medical logistics
XR technologies such as Virtual, Augmented, and Extended Reality
Rich Messaging Services
Mobile payment solutions
Artificial Intelligence as a strategic lever in the telecommunications market
Particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Vodafone sees enormous transformative potential. At the same time, Heyden emphasized the importance of industry-wide standards in order to develop scalable and future-proof solutions.
Direct Exchange with Practice
Following the lecture, students had the opportunity to ask questions and gain concrete insights into decision-making processes at Vodafone.
A key takeaway for the students was that innovation is not merely a matter of talent — it is a capability that can be systematically developed and trained.
When asked which competencies today’s students and future graduates should bring, the answer was clear:
The right mindset
Openness to continuous learning
The ability to consistently think from the customer’s perspective
The lecture impressively demonstrated how strategic thinking, market understanding, and technological expertise must work together to enable sustainable innovation.
Systematically Integrating Corporate Practice into Academic Studies
The guest lecture by Vodafone exemplifies CBS’s structured commitment to practical relevance. Corporate collaborations are not occasional add-ons but an integral part of the study programs.
In our business programs, the integration of real-world corporate practice is systematically embedded through:
Business Projects addressing real strategic and operational challenges from partner companies
Regular guest lectures by executives and industry experts
Mandatory internships to apply academic competencies in a corporate context
Dual study formats with continuous integration into company structures
A network of over 1,300 partner companies across various industries
This structured integration enables students not only to analyze economic challenges but also to develop well-founded decisions under real market conditions.
With initiatives like this, CBS reinforces its commitment to closely linking business and academia and preparing students specifically for leadership roles in a globalized and sustainability-oriented economy.
Conclusion: Understanding Innovation Before Shaping It
Johanna Heyden’s guest lecture provided impressive insights into the complexity of innovation processes within a global telecommunications company and highlighted the importance of customer centricity, strategic thinking, and technological expertise.
For CBS students, the session offered more than just an inside look at Vodafone. It provided a realistic understanding of the mindsets and capabilities required in today’s corporate environment.
