Innovation Management

Summer 2013

Instructor:Merih Pasin

E-mail:

2:40 pm - 5:30 pm / T
1:40 pm - 4:30 pm / R

Course Description:

Purpose of this course is to introduce and explore innovation management concept, how to manage product innovation and product development and build competitiveness through innovation.

Delivering new ideas and technologies as successful products to market in a sustainable way is at utmost importance for companies. This will require not only creative idea generation, but as well management of these creative ideas towards deliveringas product portfolio and ensuring sustainable innovation. Managing these require a solid understanding of innovation management.

In this course, you will learn the innovation process, how to generate new ideas and evaluate them. It will also include methods and tools to develop sustainable innovation and manage innovation project portfolio

Furthermore, the course will introduce innovation concepts such as “open innovation”, “front end innovation”, which are important tools in today’s innovation approach by most companies.

It will also provide comprehensive understanding of intellectual property, handling confidential information, and patents.

This interactive course includes several assignments and case studies, and engages the student with active participation.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:

  1. Understand the innovation process.
  1. Learn the components involving innovation management
  1. Understand the wider context of innovation and influencers
  1. Identify the factors to achieve success in innovation
  1. Recognize the factors to manage the uncertainty
  1. Examine the different forms of protections for intellectual property
  1. Learn how to understand patent, introduce components of a patent
  1. Understand how to handle confidential information
  1. Recognize different ways of managing innovation such as alliances, open innovation
  1. Understand the fundamentals of R&D management

Course Program:

Week / Date / Topic / Assignment
Week 1 / Syllabus Overview
Introduction to concepts
Types of innovation, Models of Innovation, Innovation process
Managed innovation / Reading: Chapter 1-2
Assignment: Select a type of innovation and provide a real life example.
Week 2 / Innovation diffusion theory
Managing innovation within firms:
  • Managing uncertainty
  • Managing project portfolio
/ Reading: Chapter 3
Week 3 / Innovative organizations
Management tools for innovation
Innovation and Operations Management
Design principles / Reading: Chapter 7-8
Assignment: Select the best management tool(s) to solve the assigned problem.
Week 4 / Manufacturing principles of innovation.
Innovation radar- 360 Innovation
Supply chain innovation / Reading: Chapter 9-10
Week 5 / Triggers of innovation- innovation tools
Managing IP, development of IP strategy / Reading: Chapter 5, 10
Week 6 / Expansion to patents
How to evaluate and use patents
“Freedom to Use” concept
Case study / Assignment: Search an assigned patent, analyze its claims and suggest an improvement area or identify a loophole for the potential next patent filing.
Week 7 / Overview of the assignments.
How to handle confidential information
New approach to R&D organizations and innovation
Managing R&D project portfolio
Final Case study. / Reading: Chapter 7, 10
FINAL EXAM

Course Material:

Text Book: Paul Trott, Innovation Management of New Product Development.

Course will also be supported by current reports on innovation management, recent news on patents.

Grading Structure

%

Attendance & Participation / 10
Assignments and Case Studies / 30
Final Case Study / 10
Final Exam / 50
Total / 100