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2025/2026  MA-MMBDO2501U  Managing Innovation

English Title
Managing Innovation

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Part Time Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn, Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Min. participants 10
Max. participants 30
Study board
Study Board for Master i forretningsudvikling
Course coordinator
  • Christoph Grimpe - Department of Strategy and Innovation (SI)
  • Marion Poetz - Department of Strategy and Innovation (SI)
Main academic disciplines
  • Innovation
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 02-07-2025

Relevant links

Learning objectives
  • Ability to understand basic concepts (models, processes, sources and methods) of (Open) Innovation Management and their relations
  • Ability to apply these basic concepts to own organization or other chosen empirical context
  • Ability to demonstrate skills in making informed decisions on (Open) Innovation project design
Course prerequisites
There are no preconditions for your participation. This course is designed for managers, technical experts, and intrapreneurs - whether in SMEs or large organizations - who seek to drive innovation in their industries. It is ideal for professionals looking to enhance their strategic and operational capabilities in innovation management, regardless of sector or background.
Examination
Managing Innovation:
Exam ECTS 5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 10 pages
Assignment type Written assignment
Release of assignment An assigned subject is released in class
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Summer and Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

The ability to drive innovation is a critical factor in developing and maintaining a company’s competitive edge. Innovation involves change - whether it’s creating new products, adopting advanced manufacturing processes, or implementing transformative business models. This course places innovation and its role in generating competitive advantage at its core. Not all companies have dedicated research and development departments - instead, many foster innovation through informal structures where employees across various roles contribute.

 

Additionally, external collaboration - such as engaging with users, universities, or other organizations - plays a vital role in the innovation process. As challenges become more complex, like those encountered in the green transition, inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration becomes essential for developing innovative solutions. Furthermore, the rise of artificial intelligence is revolutionizing innovation efforts, creating new opportunities and reshaping industries worldwide. In this course, we aim at providing participants with an overview of the most important aspects of understanding innovation management and we will do a deep dive on important elements of mastering innovation: strategizing innovation, organizing for innovation and developing innovation projects.

 

Key themes in the course

  • Distributed sources of innovation
  • Innovation models and processes
  • Balancing exploration and exploitation in generating innovation
  • Organizational designs for innovation
  • Intellectual property and innovation
  • Industry and technology dynamics and innovation
  • Open and collaborative innovation
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation
  • Governing innovation projects
  • Innovation project design

 

Learning flow and pedagogical design

The course follows an interactive, problem-based learning approach, delivered in full-day, workshop-style sessions. It integrates:

  • Mini-lectures for foundational concepts
  • Case studies to analyze real-world innovation challenges
  • Ad-hoc group work to apply learning in a hands-on way
  • Discussions and presentations to foster critical thinking
  • Guest speakers from industry
  • Innovation project design – practicing the development of innovation projects
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • New theory
  • Teacher’s own research
  • Methodology
  • Models
Research-like activities
  • Development of research questions
  • Data collection
  • Analysis
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
  • Informed by existing research, students make project-design decisions and use them for developing their own innovation projects (i.e., projects they can implement in their companies in the future)
Description of the teaching methods
The course follows an interactive, problem-based learning approach, delivered in full-day, workshop-style sessions. It integrates:
• Mini-lectures for foundational concepts
• Case studies to analyze real-world innovation challenges
• Ad-hoc group work to apply learning in a hands-on way
• Discussions and presentations to foster critical thinking
• Guest speakers from industry
• Innovation project design – practicing the development of innovation projects
Feedback during the teaching period
Feedback during class will be possible.
Student workload
Prepartion 95 hours
Examintation 10 hours
Teaching 32 hours
Last updated on 02-07-2025