Innovation for a better world (2235.YR.015719.1)

General information

Type:	OPT	Curs:	1	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	3 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 1	Angelo Romasanta	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences	ENG

ChatGPT, SpaceX and Lab-grown meats - We are living in times of abundant innovation but how can we manage innovation for the good? This course serves as an Introduction to Innovation Management for global governance, economics and legal order students who want to understand the role of innovation in shaping the future of society. The course will explore the entire innovation process: planning, designing, prototyping, evaluation and diffusion. Students will use these insights to understand how to effectively manage innovation in different settings: large corporations, startups, government and nonprofits. The course will explore how innovation can be leveraged to address grand societal challenges including sustainable development, climate change and poverty alleviation. Through case studies, interactive discussions, and guest lectures from experts in the field, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by innovation in the global context.

This course will prepare students to navigate the complex and rapidly evolving landscape of innovation in the global context and equip them with the skills needed to drive and manage innovation:
- To understand the different models, types and processes in innovation
- To understand how to manage innovation in a company, in a nonprofit and in government
- To analyze the ethical and policy implications of various innovations
- To evaluate the potential of innovations in pursuing the sustainable development goals
- To develop critical thinking skills in assessing the impact of innovations on society
- To cultivate interdisciplinary perspectives on the challenges of bringing innovation to the global stage
- To design innovative solutions to global challenges, informed by AI technologies

1. Introduction to innovation and technology management Key insights: - Understand the concept of innovation and its importance in business and society - Understand the different types and models of innovation Case study: The evolving role of AI in economic growth Activity: Imagine the possible futures with AI in different areas of interests (e.g. sports, fashion, movies, etc.)

2. Technology Adoption and Diffusion Key insights: - Understand the process of technology adoption and diffusion - Understand the factors that influence technology adoption and diffusion - Understand why innovations can fail despite seeming to do everything ¿right¿ Case study: Lab grown meats and food sustainability Activity: Planning to improve the adoption of lab grown meats

3. Innovation ecosystems, clusters and policy Key insights: - Understand the concept of innovation ecosystems and clusters - Understand the role of government policies in promoting innovation - Understand the importance of collaboration in innovation ecosystems Case study: The Silicon Valley ecosystem and the problems of urbanization Activity: Create a pitch for a new innovation cluster in Barcelona

4. Business model innovation and design-thinking Key insights: - Understand what business models are and how to innovate on them - Understand the basic principles of design thinking and its application in innovation Case study: Social media and disinformation Activity: Design a user-friendly app to address challenges of ¿fake news¿

5. Organizing innovation in firms Key insights: - Understand the different organizational structures for innovation - Understand the role of leadership in driving innovation - Understand the importance of culture and mindset in fostering innovation Case study: Amazon AWS and datafication of the economy Activity: Explore different scenarios how Amazon can fail as a company

6. Open innovation and collaboration Key insights: - Understand the concept of open innovation and its benefits - Understand the different strategies in collaboration - Understand the tensions between internal and external innovation Case Study: The supply chain of semiconductor chips and the rise of RISC-V Activity: Roleplaying of different actors in the chip ecosystem (China vs. US)

7. Intellectual property and innovation portfolio Key insights: - Understand the importance of intellectual property protection in innovation - Understand how companies manage their innovation portfolio Case study: Moderna and responding to healthcare challenges Activity: Exercise to balance innovation portfolio in a company

8. Hypes, technology foresight and innovation evaluation Key insights: - Understand the concept of technology hypes and its impact on innovation - Understand the importance of technology foresight in innovation - Understand how to evaluate new technologies Case Study: Blockchain technology for financial inclusion Activity: Evaluate the promise of blockchains

9. Innovation in public sector and governance Key insights: - Understand the challenges and opportunities of innovation in the public sector - Understand the role of collaboration and the various tensions in the public sector Case study: pending (too many good examples: Government innovation prizes, Smart cities, Randomization of innovation grants) Activity: Think of nudges that can be done in Barcelona

10. Innovation in non-profits and CSR Key insights: - Understand the concept of social innovation and its importance - Understand the role of non-profits and CSR in promoting social innovation Case study: Enabling entrepreneurship during the refugee crisis Activity: Develop a social enterprise that provides employment opportunities for refugees

11. Personal innovation - Understand the importance of personal innovation in career development - Understand the tools and techniques for personal innovation Case study: The slowing down of science Activity: Design a personal development plan

12. Synthesis

We aim to make the class engaging and relevant by fostering participation from the students and ensuring that they apply the lessons in innovation to real-world problems. The classes will include lectures, case studies, and guest speakers. Due to the increased prevalence of AI, the class will be conducted with the assistance of generative AI tools, especially ChatGPT.

Group	Teacher	Department
Year 1	Angelo Romasanta	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences