Learning objectives
a. Knowledge and understanding:
At the end of the course, the student will understand the basic notions of the economic theory of innovation, the forms of innovation management, and their impact on region and firm competitiveness. In particular, the student will acquire the following knowledge: 1) characteristics of the different types of innovation; 2) characteristics of innovative processes; 3) role of organizational change in new product development; 4) role of intangible resources and intellectual property rights; 5) firm collaborations to develop new technologies.
b. Knowledge and understanding: the student will be able to deal critically with issues and topics related to the economics of innovation. She will be able to describe the innovative process as a complex phenomenon that is not limited to the introduction of an innovation, but also includes the sectoral and economy-wide diffusion. She will be able to understand and comment on reports and data about the innovation phenomenon.
c. Making judgments: the course combines theoretical knowledge with examples of empirical applications aimed at verifying the applicability conditions of the proposed models and at critically analyzing the empirical results. This method allows the student to become aware of the mechanisms that regulate the innovative processes and to stimulate the ability to explore sources, data and literature necessary for the formulation of weighted judgments.
d. Communication skills: at the end of the course the student will have acquired the tools that allow her to communicate the acquired knowledge with technical language. These skills are stimulated through class interaction.
e. Learning skills: Lecture attendance and class interaction with the lecturer and other students, the exposure to the training materials uploaded on the course website, and individual study provide the student with the toolbox to stimulate individual learning.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
1. What is innovation?
2. Sources of innovation
3. Types of innovation
4. Diffusion of innovation
5. Protecting innovation
6. Industrial dynamics
7. Sectoral patterns of innovation
8. Geography of innovation
9. Management of innovation
Full programme
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Bibliography
Schilling, M., Izzo, F. Gestione dell’Innovazione, 5/ED. McGraw-Hill, Milano: 2022.
Lotti, F., Meliciani, V. Dinamiche Industriali, Il Mulino, Bologna: 2021.
Details about the program and additional materials will be specified in class.
Teaching methods
The course is organized through 9 teaching modules e 1 business seminars module, plus an introductory and a concluding session. Each teaching module includes 2 or 4 hours of lectures and 2 hours of discussion of examples and case studies.
Acquisition of knowledge: lectures.
Acquisition of the ability to apply the analysis methodologies: discussion of examples and case studies; business seminars.
Acquisition of the autonomy of judgment: interactive discussion of case studies.
Acquisition of learning skills: lectures and discussion of examples will stimulate to focus attention on the mechanisms of theoretical analysis and their application to complex phenomena.
Acquisition of technical language: during the course the meaning of the terms commonly used in the academic and public discourse about innovation will be illustrated.
Lectures, aimed at acquiring knowledge and stimulating understanding, will make use of slides. Slides will be available on the Elly page by the end of each week. Business seminars might be organized in presence or as online streaming, depending on guests availability.
The Elly page is the main source of information about: course events, schedule changes, office hours, exams.
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam consists of a written test with 32 multiple choice questions, with penalties for incorrect answers. The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths and evaluates the knowledge acquired during the course. Honors will be awarded to students that get more than 30 points.
All students have one hour to complete the final written exam.
During the exam it is forbidden to use mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and any other electronic device. It is also forbidden to use books, notes, and slides.
Results will be notified on the Esse3 website. Students can view the exam in the time slots communicated by the instructor after enrolment is closed.
If classroom exams will not be possible due to the public health emergency, the exam will consist in a written multiple choice exam using the online platform Elly with Respondus, and Teams or Zoom for communication and video proctoring. In this case, students will have 25 minutes to complete the exam. If the Respondus software will not be available, there will be an oral exam.
If individual students cannot attend the classroom exam due to the health emergency, it is possible to take an online exam only if this is mandated by University rules. In this case, the student will take an oral exam through the platform Teams.
Other information
Recodings of class lectures will be available on Elly, except for failures in technical infrastructure.
An innovative track will be available for II year students enrolled in the CLED curriculum, with 80% compulsory attendance rate in presence. All information about this track will be communicated in the introductory lecture.
