Undergraduate courses in economics and strategy are recommended prerequisite knowledge. This includes concepts like economies of scale and scope, (in)direct network effects and contestable markets. Prior knowledge of tools like the business model canvas will also facilitate absorption of the course material. However, each of the concepts and tools in the course will be explained for students who are unfamiliar with them.

This concerns a transition curriculum. No contact sessions are provided. The student is only required to participate in the evaluation.

This course aims to familiarize students with the management of innovation in an ‘open’ context, in which the boundaries of the firm are increasingly blurred. As a basis, students are provided with the necessary frameworks to understand how firms have gradually evolved to a more open innovation practice and how this has resulted in the opening up of their business models. Subsequently, different contexts in which firms interact with customers and other firms are discussed, such as technology markets, technology platforms and user co-innovation systems. Finally, we take a more aggregate view to understand how firms are part of innovation networks and how these networks constitute a valuable resource. In particular, students are introduced to the principles of ‘systems thinking’ in order to assess the broader ecosystem of the firm from an innovation perspective.