ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY (Canale B)

Description

Objectives: This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of how innovation and entrepreneurship are shaped by systematic processes, organizational behaviors, and emerging technologies. It emphasizes the development of both analytical and applied competencies in opportunity recognition, creative ideation, and the design of innovative business models. This course explores the systematic processes, methods, and behaviors that underpin innovation and entrepreneurial success. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the sources of innovation and the role of scientific and data-informed methods in opportunity recognition. The course also examines real-world examples of how companies leverage new technologies to achieve competitive advantage, while examining why many firms fail to do so. Assessment: The grade is based on an individual written exam (30%), and group project (70%). Teaching Methods: The course mixes theory with practice, and students will be challenged to apply principles, concepts and frameworks to real-world situations. Before each class, students are supposed to study the material – usually papers and / or case studies – suggested in the reading list. Prerequisites: No Contents: The majority of learning will occur through interactive debates and contributions to constructive, class-based discussions (reading-focused). Students will apply course concepts in a group project that utilizes mixed-methods research to investigate technological innovation trends within a chosen real-world firm or ecosystem. Key questions of the course: Is there a systematic method or behavior that leads to innovation? What are the sources of innovation? Is there a scientific method of recognizing opportunities and innovating? How do innovators come up with breakthrough ideas, and how do they turn them into successful startups? How companies leverage technologies and innovation to sustain competitive advantage, and why many others failed? What is the role of the entrepreneur’s and firm’s ecosystem in fostering technological innovation? Final group project You will work in groups to investigate, using mixed-method research, technological innovation trends in real-world firms and their networks and ecosystems. There is a word limit for the project paper, including all exhibits. While providing some details is necessary, it is essential to emphasize analysis over description. You are welcome to utilize your industry contacts. Reference Texts: All information concerning the course, the lecture notes, the support materials and the exercises and all communications will take place through the e-learning page. A list of the required and suggested readings is included in the detailed program. Thesis assignment criteria: Originality of the idea Mastering of The English Language Time: minimum 3 months leadtime Commitment we have few but strict rules, lack of compliance might result into graduation postponement Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 1: Introduction to the course: teaching teams, objectives, rules, exams The relation between Entrepreneurship Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship Innovation & Technology and Economics: Schumpeter, Merton, and othters Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 10: Case: A bugs’ story Innovation inside companies Main barriers to innovation Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 11: Managing Innovation Review of methodologies to generate inventions and innovation Open Innovation Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 12: Corporate entrepreneurship (aka intrapreneurship) Innovation thesis Innovation management Innovation practice Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 2: Measurement of Innovation , Technology and Entrepreneurship - Major tech trends - Investments in R&D - New companies’ creation - Sources of information First definitions of Entrepreneurship Innovation & Technology Taxonomies Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 3: Innovation and Technology Definition and Types of innovation Science based innovation and the industrial revolutions The conditions that make innovation possible: Innovation Ecosystems Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 4: The adoption of innovation - Abernathy & Utterback - Introduction to the S curve and its applications Dominant design for product and process innovation Technological utility, user base and complementary goods Actual Vs Perceived Vs Anticipated Value Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 5: Failed and successful innovations Timing of introduction Hype-cycle and Evolution Strategic introduction of technological innovations The S curveS and their applications Rogers and Moore and new findings The conditions that make innovation possible: Innovation Ecosystems Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 6: The entrepreneur: Who, why, what & how ? - The entrepreneurial continuum - Characteristics of entrepreneurs and do they matter ? - The entrepreneurial mindset - The entrepreneurial “career” The McDonalds Case Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 7: Managers Vs Entrepreneurs - Context - Mindset - Comptences & skills - Tools Effectuation theory Road to market Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 8: The Business model - What is a business Model - The Business model canvass - Business model 9 internal boxes Extended Program And Reference Reading Material: Week 9: The Business model - Business model 4 external boxes - models of business models - Business model innovation Intended learning outcomes: Knowledge and understanding: A clear understanding of dynamics behind the creation of value. Understand the interplay between Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Understand the entrepreneurial approach to value creation Understand how the introduction of innovations works Learn how a company is better defined by its business model Understand the process of innovation generation Applying knowledge and understanding: Students should be able to contribute to the development and the deployment of innovation through the form of product/service/process or a new company Acquire the ability to read the context in which an innovation is taking place Identify the key drivers of successful innovation introduction Identify the necessary steps for the creation of a startup/entreprenurial venture Describe an existing business model and the necessary steps to develop a new one Illustrate the innovation generation process and its measures Making judgments: students will be able tounderstand the context and, using the most appropriate methodologies, to realize given/own objectives Consider the key elements for the introduction of innovation Assess the consistency of a business model both for an existing company and a new venture Evaluate an innovation process and its potential Communication skills students will develop communication skills for expressing their ideas and debating them Learning skills We aim at capacitating the student to think out of the box and to question the established theories in order to advance knowledge and results. He/she will be curious of further exploring the subject matters well beyond the end of the course