Strategy of Innovation (Fall 2024)

Master in Management Program at HEC Lausanne

Course overview

Innovation plays a critical role in driving economic growth and securing competitive advantage in today's dynamic business environment. This course focuses on how firms—both startups and established companies—can create and capture value through product, process, and service innovations. We will explore topics such as technological evolution, competition, sustainable innovation, timing of entry, organizing for innovation, platform dynamics, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI. The course combines theoretical frameworks with practical application through lectures, discussions, guest speaker insights, and a semester-long project. In the project, students work in teams – every week – applying course concepts to build a comprehensive analysis of a chosen industry's innovation ecosystem.

Course structure

  • Week 1: No class
  • Week 2: Evolution of technological innovation and technology markets
  • Week 3: Competition and technological evolution
  • Week 4: Sustainable innovation
  • Week 5: Timing of entry
  • Week 6: Innovation and experimentation
  • Week 7: Organizing for innovation
  • Week 8: Platforms and ecosystems
  • Week 9: Intellectual property strategy
  • Week 10: Innovation in the age of AI
  • Weeks 11: Project consolidation and Peer Review
  • Weeks 12 & 13: Final presentation and report submission
  • Week 14: Q&A

Evaluation

Weekly deliverables (40%)

Your performance in this course will be assessed through a combination of ongoing work and the final project, reflecting both your continuous engagement and the culmination of your learning. Weekly deliverables will account for 40% of your final grade. These deliverables include team-based assignments such as industry analyses, ecosystem map updates, reports on sustainability drivers, timing strategies, organizational structures, platform dynamics, and reflections on emerging technologies. These assignments are designed to progressively build your understanding of innovation ecosystems and provide opportunities for feedback and improvement throughout the semester. Deliverables defined in a given week must be handed in on Wednesday evening of the following week.

Group presentations (60%)

The final presentation and written report will constitute 60% of your grade. This comprehensive evaluation encompasses the Innovation Ecosystem Mapping project you've developed over the course. The final deliverables should demonstrate a deep understanding of course concepts, analytical rigor, and strategic insight. The presentation will be assessed on clarity, coherence, depth of analysis, and the effectiveness of communication. The written report should provide a thorough examination of your chosen industry's innovation ecosystem, including well-supported recommendations for enhancing innovation performance.

Required materials

1.Book: Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, Melissa A. Schilling, McGraw Hill
2. Other materials (papers, case studies, videos): Will be posted on Moodle.