30154 - TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT

No specific prior knowledge needed. A generic course in Management will be helpful (company organizational structure, different functions, competitive strategy)

Innovation is the primary engine of economic growth, providing advances in endeavors such as medicine, agriculture, and education. The establishment of new industries, the transformation of current industries by new technologies, the relationships between value creation and technological advancement, and the success and failure of technological system implementation are some of the topics explored. At the same time, innovation is a powerful means of competitive differentiation, enabling firms to enter new markets and achieve higher margins. Scholars and managers are interested in how innovation affects the competitive dynamics of markets, how firms can strategically manage innovation, and how firms can implement their innovation strategies. The mission of this course is to equip students with the tools and the knowledge required to understand, analyze and manage the creation, development and exploitation of innovation within companies.

Industry Dynamics of Technological Innovation

• Sources of innovation
• Types and patterns of innovation
• S-curves and diffusion of innovation
• Network effects and platform markets
   

Technology commercialization strategy and protection

• Profiting from innovation
• Protecting innovation through Patents
• Other intellectual property tools: trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets

Managing the innovation process

• Organizing for innovation
• Selecting innovation projects
• Managing the R&D portfolio
• Managing the new product development process
• Managing new product development teams

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles related to innovation strategy and management.
• Acquire knowledge about project selection, collaboration strategies, and methods for safeguarding the firm's intellectual property.
• Gain insights into how organizational structure influences innovation management and the functioning of new product development teams.
• Enhance oral and written communication skills and improve decision-making abilities.

• Interpreting the technological environment and identifying meaningful trends for making informed decisions about innovation and technology.
• Crafting a firm's strategic direction and innovation strategy, understanding its goals, capabilities, and competitive landscape.
• Understangin how organizational structure impacts the organization's ability to innovate and profit from innovation.
• Develop an effective communication of innovation and technology decisions, though clear and concise articulation of the rationale, impact, and addressing concerns.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Group assignments
• Interactive class activities on campus/online (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

• Group assignments: Students work in groups to resolve business problems relating to innovation and technology.
• Idea development and presentation: Teams work together to create original ideas that they then present to the class.
• Instant polls: these polls are used to collect responses on a variety of issues as well as for students to evaluate the ideas of other teams.
• Online quizzes: these tests are designed to quickly evaluate the learning process.

The students' assessment is based on two components:

• Written exam with open-ended and multiple-choice questions (graded over 31). The open-ended questions aim to assess how well the students can apply the techniques discussed in the course to examine choices and situations where innovation is a key factor. The purpose of the multiple-choice questions is to test the student's proficiency with the course's fundamental concepts.
• Group assignments  assess the students' ability to analyze complex situations where innovation plays a crucial role.

The students' assessment is based on:

• Written exam with open-ended and multiple-choice questions (graded over 31). The open-ended questions aim to assess how well the students can apply the techniques discussed in the course to examine choices and situations where innovation is a key factor. The purpose of the multiple-choice questions is to test the student's proficiency with the course's fundamental concepts.

At the beginning of the semester, articles covering the subjects of each session will be posted on the course reserve.

Slide set from the instructors and the business cases for the assignments will be uploaded during the course on the blackboard e-learning platform.

Innovation is the primary engine of economic growth, providing advances in endeavors such as medicine, agriculture, and education. At the same time, innovation is a powerful means of competitive differentiation, enabling firms to enter new markets and achieve higher margins. Scholars and managers are interested in how innovation affects the competitive dynamics of markets, how firms can strategically manage innovation, and how firms can implement their innovation strategies. The mission of this course is to equip students with the tools and the knowledge required to understand, analyze and manage the creation, development and exploitation of innovation within companies.

Industry Dynamics of Technological Innovation:

• Sources of innovation
• Types and patterns of innovation.
• S-curves and diffusion of innovation.
• Standards battles.

Technology Commercialization Strategy and Protection:

• Profiting from innovation.
• Protecting innovation through Patents.
• Trademarks, Copyrights and Trade Secrets.

Managing the Innovation Process:

• Selecting Innovation Projects.
• Managing the R&D portfolio.
• Organizing for innovation.
• Managing new product development teams.
• Managing the new product development process.

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles related to innovation strategy and management.
• Acquire knowledge about project selection, collaboration strategies, and methods for safeguarding the firm's intellectual property.
• Gain insights into how organizational structure influences innovation management and the functioning of new product development teams.
• Enhance oral and written communication skills and improve decision-making abilities.

• Interpreting the technological environment and identifying meaningful trends for making informed decisions about innovation and technology.
• Crafting a firm's strategic direction and innovation strategy, understanding its goals, capabilities, and competitive landscape.
• Understangin how organizational structure impacts the organization's ability to innovate and profit from innovation.
• Develop an effective communication of innovation and technology decisions, though clear and concise articulation of the rationale, impact, and addressing concerns.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Group assignments
• Interactive class activities on campus/online (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

• Group assignments: Students work in groups to resolve business problems relating to innovation and technology.
• Idea development and presentation: Teams work together to create original ideas that they then present to the class.
• Instant polls: these polls are used to collect responses on a variety of issues as well as for students to evaluate the ideas of other teams.
• Online quizzes: these tests are designed to quickly evaluate the learning process.

The students' assessment is based on two components:

• Written exam with open-ended and multiple-choice questions (graded over 31). The open-ended questions aim to assess how well the students can apply the techniques discussed in the course to examine choices and situations where innovation is a key factor. The purpose of the multiple-choice questions is to test the student's proficiency with the course's fundamental concepts.
• Group assignments  assess the students' ability to analyze complex situations where innovation plays a crucial role.

The students' assessment is based on:

• Written exam with open-ended and multiple-choice questions (graded over 31). The open-ended questions aim to assess how well the students can apply the techniques discussed in the course to examine choices and situations where innovation is a key factor. The purpose of the multiple-choice questions is to test the student's proficiency with the course's fundamental concepts.

TEXTBOOK: Melissa Schilling. Strategic Management of Technological Innovation. 6th Edition. McGraw Hill. 2020. This textbook covers the background material. Acquiring the textbook is NOT required. There is an e-book version accesible from the library.

SLIDES, CASES, READINGS, ARTICLES are crucial for preparing for the final exam. This material will be available on B-B.