Noboru Konno named Senior Fellow by Peter Drucker Society Europe

Noboru Konno, President of the Japan Innovation Network (JIN) and Professor Emeritus at the Graduate School of Management and Information Sciences, Tama University, has been awarded the title of Senior Fellow by the Peter Drucker Society Europe, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the theory and practice of management.

At the ceremony held in Tokyo on July 1, 2025, Dr. Richard Straub, President and Founder of the Peter Drucker Society Europe, conferred the title of Senior Fellow upon Noboru Konno.

The Senior Fellow title honors the legacy of Peter Drucker, widely regarded as the father of modern management, and is conferred on individuals whose work exemplifies excellence in both thought leadership and practical application of Drucker’s philosophy. Konno is the second Japanese recipient of the title, following the late Professor Ikujiro Nonaka, who was recognized in 2023.

At the award ceremony held in Tokyo on July 1, Mr. Yoshikuni Takashige, Ambassador of the Global Peter Drucker Forum delivered an address highlighting the evolving role of “management”. The event also featured a dynamic discussion on “New Management and New Leadership.”

During the award presentation, Dr. Richard Straub, President and Founder of the Peter Drucker Society Europe, praised Konno’s intellectual leadership. He highlighted Konno’s concept of “knowledge ecology” and his pioneering work on Ba, a Japanese word referring to a shared physical or virtual space for knowledge co-creation, as a perfect embodiment of Drucker’s foundational idea of “social ecology.” He emphasized that such ideas are essential to navigating today’s multi-stakeholder ecosystem-based world.

“I am deeply honored, and I feel a profound sense of reflection and responsibility,” said Konno upon receiving the distinction. “This recognition affirms the path I have walked and marks a new starting point for further exploration and contribution.”

Over the course of his career, Konno has played a pivotal role in bridging theory and practice in the domains of knowledge creation and innovation management. In his long-standing collaboration with Professor Nonaka, a world-leading scholar on the theory of knowledge creation, he has played a central role in bridging theory and practice in the fields of knowledge creation and innovation management, particularly through the development and advancement of the concept of Ba. His interdisciplinary work spans architecture, management, design thinking, purpose engineering, and innovation management systems, forming a dynamic ecosystem of knowledge that have earned acclaim in Japan and globally.

 Through his leadership at the Japan Innovation Network, and collaboration with Tama University and leading Japanese corporations, government agencies, universities, and research institutions, Konno is actively advancing innovation management practices that drive the development of knowledge-creating organizations and systems for sustainable social systems. The conferral of the Senior Fellow title underscores the global recognition of his impact in both intellectual and practical spheres.

About Noboru Konno:

President, Japan Innovation Network & Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Management and Information Sciences, Tama University

Widely recognized as a leading scholar in the theory of knowledge creation, Konno has conducted cross-disciplinary research and practice across fields such as knowledge management, innovation, design thinking, and purpose engineering. In particular, he is highly regarded for his theoretical and practical contributions to the concept of Ba, a Japanese word referring to a shared physical or virtual space for knowledge co-creation.

He has held multiple academic positions, including Specially Appointed Professor in System Design Management (SDM) at Keio University and Visiting Professor at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST).

His publications include: “Intellectualizing Capability”(Nikkei BP, 1995), “Introduction to Knowledge-based Management: Knowledge Management and Its Era”(Chikuma Shinsho, 1999), “Methodology of Knowledge Creation: The Way of the Knowledge Worker”(Toyo Keizai, 2003), “Art Company”(Nikkei BP, 2008), “Methodology of Conceptualizing Capability”(Nikkei BP, 2018), and Kōsō-ryoku: Conceptualizing Capability (Springer, 2024).

He holds a BS in Architecture, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University and a Ph.D. in Management Information Science, academic, Tama University

About Peter Drucker Society Europe:

Founded on the philosophy of Peter Drucker, widely regarded as the father of modern management, this nonprofit organization was established to advance management as a vital function in society. With support from figures such as Doris Drucker, Peter Drucker’s widow, it was founded by Richard Straub, former Vice General Manager of IBM’s European PC business, together with his wife Ilse. Since 2009, the organization has hosted the annual Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna, Drucker’s birthplace. https://www.druckerforum.org/home/