Glob­al Strategy, Tech­no­logy and In­nov­a­tion

Course content

Course Content, Structure and Pedagogical Approach

This course focuses on strategic aspects of managing global innovation, technology and R&D. We will address this from four internal perspectives:

• Corporate level: How do firms steer global R&D and innovation across the entire organization, in response to global trends in technologies and markets?
• Business level: How do individual business and R&D units optimize their innovation performance in the context of their parent MNC?
• Team level: How do teams form, perform, and deliver innovation when geographically dispersed across different time zones, cultures, and organizations?
• Individual level: How do individual innovation managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals contribute to global innovation and knowledge sharing, while driving and supporting MNC innovation strategy forward?

In addition, we will also address the following MNC-external themes:

• Open and cooperative innovation: How to reach beyond internal resources and engage with competitors, collaborators, customers, and universities in transnational R&D and innovation.
• Location decisions: Determining where and why to establish an R&D and innovation presence in certain markets and geographies.
• Digitalization: How to leverage the full force of information and communication technology for global innovation.
• Organizational maturity: How to grow small local R&D efforts into globally leading innovation centers.
• Reverse innovation: How to leverage creativity and entrepreneurship in emerging and developing countries and reverse the flow of technology and innovation.
• Frugal innovation: Learning from super-efficient innovators in the East to reorganize and reposition how we innovate globally.

We will address these interwoven themes and perspectives through a series of interactive lectures, case discussions, and workshops.