IOE012 - Innovation Economics

Course syllabus 2024

Credits: 7.5

Examiner: Marcus Holgersson

Study period: Lp1 (September-October)

 

1. Introduction

This is a course in an increasingly important branch of industrial economics. The course arises out of a need to provide undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and economics with concepts and tools for analyzing innovations. Innovations of all sorts, not only technical innovations, provide the most important source of industrial competitiveness, economic growth, and well-being, and increasingly so in the new type of economy, based on knowledge in general and new technologies in particular.

 

2. Purpose of the course

The overall purpose of this course is to provide perspectives, concepts, models and methods that provide a theory-oriented platform for economic analysis of innovations and for innovation management.

 

3. Course objectives

After completing the course, the student should be able to:
1. Explain and relate economic dynamics and causes and consequences of innovations and new technologies. 
2. Use statically oriented micro-economics, as well as business economics. 
3. Describe and use a coherent framework as well as tools (both qualitative and quantitative) for economic analysis of innovations and new business development.
4. Describe and explain innovations, business models, business development and venture financing, and the relations between them.
5. Identify, describe, and explain environmental issues, in particular environmental innovation economics.
6. Use basic commercial law, and relate it to technology and IP affairs.
7. Use professional language related to innovation economics.

 

4. Target groups

Third year students in the industrial engineering and management program in particular and students of engineering and economics at undergraduate and intermediate level in general.

 

5. Prerequisites

Courses in basic economic analysis, mathematics and statistics are prerequisites. Basic understanding of microeconomic theory is recommended. The course builds on basic courses in economic analysis, complements courses in industrial management, marketing and product development, and prepares for advanced courses in economics and management of technology and innovation.

 

6. Course design and contents

The course comprises a series of lectures and exercises, as well as guest lectures. The course is designed to take advantage of the advanced engineering students' knowledge of mathematics and quantitative methods of analysis.

The lectures will typically include interactive sessions during which students are trained in learning through and about interaction, argumentation and communication. In addition to lectures, calculation exercises, group exercises and games are used to train the students' ability to apply the theories and models presented in the lectures.

 

7. Course language

The written language of the course is English, although exam answers can be given in Swedish. The spoken language of the course is a mix of Swedish and English.

 

8. People involved in the course

Marcus Holgersson, Professor, Lecturer and examiner, marhol@chalmers.se 

Malin Petrén, Lawyer, PhD candidate, mpetren@chalmers.se 

Carina Jogevik, Course administration, carina.jogevik@chalmers.se 

 

9. Reading list

1. Granstrand, O. (2018) Industrial Innovation Economics and Intellectual Property (7th edition). Gothenburg: Svenska Kulturkompaniet. (Available at Chalmers Store.) 

2. Granstrand, O. and Holgersson, M. (2020) Innovation Ecosystems: A Conceptual Review and a New Definition. Technovation, Vol. 90-91, pp. 1-12.

3. Blank, S. and Dorf, B. (2012) The Startup Owner’s Manual. Pescadero, CA: K&S Ranch, Inc. Excerpts: pp. 19-30. Copies will be handed out.

4. Osterwalder, A. and Pigneur, Y. (2009) Business Model Generation. Excerpts: pp. 14-44. Available here:

 http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/downloads/businessmodelgeneration_preview.pdf (Links to an external site.)

5. Leiponen, A. (2024) Digital Innovation Strategy. Excerpts: pp. 66-77. Copies will be handed out.

6.  Björkdahl, J., Holgersson, M., and Teece, D. (2024) ‘Strategies for platform entry into established ecosystems’. California Management Review,  Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 27-46. 

7. Holgersson, M., Baldwin, C., Chesbrough, H., and Bogers, M. (2022) ‘The forces of ecosystem evolution’. California Management Review, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 5-23. 

8. Teece, D. (1986) Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy. Research Policy, Volume 15, Issue 6, December 1986, Pages 285-305.

9. Word Intellectual Property Organization (2015) Successful Technology Licensing. IP Assets Management Series.

In addition, more material will be handed out during the course, mainly available on Canvas.

 

10. Examination and grading

The examination of the course consists of a written end-term exam (4 hours), participation in compulsory activities, including the class session you have been assigned to. The written end-term exam can maximally give 40 points. The following grading scheme applies:

Points	Grade
0-15.5	Fail
16-23.5	3
24-31.5	4
32-40	5

Students are also expected to discuss the questions presented in each module with their study group before each lecture. However, no hand-ins are expected for this.

 

11. Course evaluation

An evaluation team will be set up among the students. The team will meet twice during the course and once after the course. Minutes from the meetings will be taken by the team secretarystudents and a final, brief report for future course developments will be provided by the students, and signed by the examiner. A written individual course evaluation will also be carried out. Students are encouraged, also during the course, to propose improvements of the course and may therefore turn to members of the evaluation team or to the teachers.