Course 2024-2025 a.y.

30154 - TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31 - 32 - 33 - 34

CLEF (6 credits - I/II sem. - OP | SECS-P/08) - BESS-CLES (6 credits - I/II sem. - OP | SECS-P/08) - WBB (6 credits - I/II sem. - OP | SECS-P/08) - BIEF (6 credits - I/II sem. - OP | SECS-P/08) - BIEM (6 credits - I/II sem. - OBS | 12 credits SECS-P/08) - BIG (6 credits - I/II sem. - OP | 12 credits SECS-P/08) - BEMACS (6 credits - I/II sem. - OP | SECS-P/08) - BAI (6 credits - I/II sem. - OP | SECS-P/08)

Course Director:
SILVIA ZAMBONI

Classes: 31 (I sem.) - 32 (I sem.) - 33 (I sem.) - 34 (II sem.)

Instructors:
Class 31: SILVIA ZAMBONI, Class 32: THORSTEN GROHSJEAN, Class 33: THORSTEN GROHSJEAN, Class 34: ANDREA FOSFURI

Suggested background knowledge

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

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

Innovation is the primary engine of economic growth, driving advances in fields such as medicine, agriculture, and education. This course explores topics including the establishment of new industries, the transformation of current industries by new technologies, the relationship between value creation and technological advancement, and the success and failure of technological system implementation. Innovation also serves as 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 market dynamics, how firms can strategically manage innovation, and how they can implement their innovation strategies. The mission of this course is to equip students with the tools and knowledge required to understand, analyze, and manage the creation, development, and exploitation of innovation within companies.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course is structured in three main parts:

Industry Dynamics of Technological Innovation:

Students will explore the sources, types, and patterns of innovation, understand the S-curves of diffusion and adoption, and examine network effects and platform markets.

Technology Commercialization Strategy and Protection:

The course will cover strategies to profit from innovation, methods to protect innovation through patents, and the use of other intellectual property tools such as trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

Managing the Innovation Process:

Students will learn how to organize for innovation, select innovation projects, manage R&D portfolios, oversee the new product development process, and manage new product development teams effectively.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles related to innovation strategy and management.
Understand the phases of development, adoption and diffusion models of innovation
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.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

Learn to analyze the technological landscape and identify significant trends to make well-informed decisions regarding innovation and technological advancements.
Develop the ability to formulate a company's strategic direction and innovation strategy by understanding its objectives, strengths, and the competitive market environment.
Understand how organizational structure impacts the organization's ability to innovate and profit from innovation.
Enhance the capability to use innovation and business vocabulary

Teaching methods

Lectures
Practical Exercises
Collaborative Works / Assignments

DETAILS

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.

Assessment methods

	Continuous assessment	General exam
Written individual exam (traditional/online)		x
Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)	x
Peer evaluation	x

ATTENDING STUDENTS

The students' assessment is based on two components:

Written exam with open-ended and multiple-choice questions. 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.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The students' assessment is based on:

Written exam with open-ended and multiple-choice questions. 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.

Teaching materials

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

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.

Last change 22/05/2024 10:50