module specification

This module covers the multi-disciplinary field of innovation in its many contexts: primarily, the increase in innovation in theory and practice in recent years, and how organisations and institutions, whether start-ups, SMEs, or global corporations, or whether commercial or public, can exploit and manage innovation;  and secondarily, innovation in the context of its history, its adoption as governmental / institutional policy, its links with network and globalisation theory and practice, its expression as organisational and entrepreneurial  intent, and its links with creativity, leadership, technology, new product development (NPD), and the flourishing digital economy.

This module aims to:
- Enhance student academic understanding of the multi-disciplinary aspects of innovation
- Explore and develop student’s own knowledge and experience of innovation
- Relate student’s knowledge and experience to developing their own personal and professional methods of managing  innovation in practice

Innovation as the basis of organisational and entrepreneurial intent
Successful (and not-so-successful) innovation projects
Technology, the digital economy, and innovation
Innovation institutions and policy
New Product Development (NPD) and the commercial aims of innovation
Innovation of the self: leadership, creativity, and collaboration
Local clustering of innovation / Global networks of innovation
How to manage complex innovation projects

A wide range of learning and teaching methods will be employed, all aimed at developing student understanding of innovation in both theory and practice, and will include lectures, cases studies, seminars, field trips, site visits, guest speakers, student-led research tasks, and the use of digital / internet / web-based tools.

The module will also make use of experiential learning, reflective learning, and collaborative problem-solving, as a means of developing student’s own personal innovative and creative thinking.

Students will be given directed readings (which they will be asked to comment on during classes), plus directed research and writing tasks, from the early weeks of the Module, as preparation for their assessments in Week 7 and Week 12.  This will enable development of student presentation skills, team-working skills, academic writing skills, and creativity skills from the very beginning of the Module,  directly related to two of the Course academic skills areas:
- (i)Knowledge & Understanding
- (ii)Subject-Specific Practical Skills

On completion of this module students will be able to:
- Understand the major aspects of innovation in theory and in practice
- Use this understanding to contribute to developing their own ability in managing innovation in practice
- Engage in researching and managing and in innovation project(s)

There will be two components, a group presentation (30%) and an individual report (70%)

Suggested topics for the assessments are as follows:

1. Group Presentation (30%, 15 minutes): Present an analysis of an ‘innovative’ area of London undergoing urban re-development, and, using innovation theory, concepts and models, explain how this development can be furthered and continued.
2. Individual Report (70%, 4,000-words): Taking the role of either (i) innovator, or (ii) consultant, and using innovation theory, concepts and models, produce a creative report detailing how you would innovate, commercialise, and manage a New Product (NP), service, or process.

Essential:
Goffin, K and Mitchell, R (2016) Innovation Management, 3rd Edition. London:  Palgrave Macmillan
Tidd, J and Bessant, J (2013). Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change, 5th Edition. Chichester:  John Wiley & Sons.

International Journal of Innovation Management, Imperial College Press, London
European Journal of Innovation Management, MCB Press, Bradford (both available FREE as an e:resource via the Library website)

Additional:
Asimakou, T. (2009). Innovation, Knowledge, and Power in Organizations. Abingdon: Routledge
Asimakou, T. (2008) The Knowledge Dimension of Innovation Management, Knowledge Research Management and Practice, Volume 7, Issue 1 (available at: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/kmrp/journal/v7/n1/pdf/kmrp200834a.pdf
Bartlett, D. and Dibben, P. (2010) Public Sector Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Case Studies from Local Government, Local Government Studies, Volume 28 (4), pp 92-90. (available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/714004159 )
Dodgson, M. (ed) (2015) .The Oxford Handbook of Innovation Management. Oxford:  Oxford University Press
Drucker, P. (2014) Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Abingdon: Routledge.
Kirk, K. and Cotton, C. (2012) The Cambridge Phenomenon: 50 Years of Innovation and Enterprise.  London: Third Millennium Information.
Patterson, F. et al (2009). Everyday Innovation: How to Enhance Innovative Working in Employees and Organisations. NESTA (available at: http://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/everyday_innovation.pdf )
Sloane, P. (ed) (2011). A Guide to Open Innovation and Crowd-Sourcing: Advice from Leading Experts. London: Kogan Page
Von Stamm, B. and Trifilova, A. (eds) (2009). The Future of Innovation.  Farnham: Gower.

Websites:
http://evhippel.mit.edu , Home Page for Eric von Hippel, Professor of Technological Innovation at MIT Sloan School of Management
www.nesta.org.uk , National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts
http://openinnovation.berkeley.edu/what_is_oi.html , Program in Open Innovation at the University of Berkeley, by Professor Henry Chesbrough
http://innovation.uk.msn.com , MSN Innovation
https://www.innovateuk.org , The Technology Strategy Board at Innovate UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/uk-science-and-innovation-network , UK Science and Innovation Network (SIN)
http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm , The European Union’s Innovation Union / Horizon 2020 initiatives
http://www.eco-innovation.eu /, The Eco-Innovation Observatory at the European Union
http://www.biginnovationcentre.com , Big Innovation Centre at Lancaster University