From product to business model innovation

The course builds on the basic concept of “innovation” to explore the various sources of competitive advantage. To do so, it uses cases from different industries to examine well acknowledged examples of product, process and positioning innovation. Thus, it introduces business model innovation as a relevant source of competitive advantage and identifies challenges, opportunities, risks, and limitations.

The course uses, among the other, the paper “Chesbrough, H., 2010. Business model innovation: opportunities and barriers. Long Range Planning, 43 (2-3), pp.354-363” to shed light on the relationship between technological and business model innovation. Other readings will complete the theoretical background for students.

In short, classes will develop as follows:

1. Analysis of “Chesbrough, 2010” and review of main theoretical background of business model innovation; Creation of groups of students and assignment of task to each of them;
2. Analysis of cases with active participation of students in debates;
3. Presentation of work groups and discussion open to the whole class.

• In class case studies discussion;
• Group work.

• Quality of group work and presentation of the assignment (70%)
• Active participation into class discussions (30%).