Course
ECONOMICS OF INNOVATION
Teacher
ENRICA IMBERT
This course will focus thoroughly on the central aspects of the economics of innovation for understanding those factors that influence the innovation patterns and how policies can contribute to the processes of social and economic change.
Students have the opportunity to acquire:
1. knowledge and understanding. The students will become familiar with classic as well as contemporary views on the economics of innovation, with a particular focus on most actual research topics (e.g. sustainable innovations).
2. applying knowledge and understanding. The course covers the main issues related to technological change and technical progress: definitions, sources of innovation, indicators for measuring innovation, methodological issues. Moreover, it addresses some specific issues closely related to the economics of innovation: entrepreneurship, innovative start-ups, technology transfer, economic effects of innovations, and measurements.
3. making judgements. The autonomy of judgment is developed through a critical study of the scientific literature on the topic. This ability will be particularly refined through interactive teaching, namely, the course will be organized as a combination of lectures, reading and writing of exam essay and group discussions.
4. communication skills. The student will be able to explain clearly and comprehensively the issues addressed using the acquired knowledge in an appropriate manner. In particular, he/she will be able to deal with everyday working issues with appropriate terminology that will allow him to show communication and interaction skills, also useful for working relationships.
5. learning skills. The student will develop a critical ability to understand the main results produced by modern economic literature addressed to technological innovations having acquired the necessary tools to interpret policy choices.
The course aims at: i) providing a solid background in economics of innovation, and ii) highlighting the main topics in the literature of economics of innovation.
CONTENTS:
Part I: Basics in the Economics of Innovation
Introduction to the course
What is economics of innovation about?
Innovation in the history of economic thought
Part II: Aspects of Innovation
Fundamental concepts in innovations
Process innovation
Product innovation
Innovative pricing
Network effects and standards
Intellectual property
Part III: How firms achieve innovations
Invention and creativity
The entrepreneur and innovation
Organization for innovation
Vision and innovations
Clusters and networks
Division of labour
Part IV: The innovation and the consumer
The passive consumer and the active consumer
The diffusion of innovation
Part V: The effect of innovation
Innovation and trade
Innovation and market structure
Innovation and wealth creation
Innovation and competitiveness
Innovation and sustainability
Innovation and employment
Part VI: Innovation and government
Market failure
Innovation and policy
Textbook: Swann, G. M. P. (2009). The economics of innovation: an introduction. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Price £ 24.87
Scientific literature: Papers , essays and reports concerned with the above topics will be provided. The readings are not compulsory, but are recommended to improve your preparation and extend of your knowledge of the topics.
The teaching support tools are represented by:
Forum
The recorded lessons
The e-tivities
A self-assessment test is published on the course web page (didactic path) to optimize the preparation of the exam. This test will allow students to ascertain the degree and the actual understanding of the acquired knowledge
The exam evaluation will be carried out by an oral examination. An adequate knowledge of the topics included in the self-assessment test is a valid basis for evaluating yours preparation. Participation in the interactive activities (possible reading and writing of essays, group discussions and webinars) will be taken into consideration during the exam session.
The course aims to respond to the emerging training needs in the sectors driven innovation with particular reference to managerial roles and to the sustainability of most innovative processes and products.