This week, you’ll discuss the challenges of managing innovation in organisations, and explore key enablers for innovation. In addition, you will develop managerial approaches that are used to respond to disruptive innovation. You will be introduced to the sources and pitfalls that affect the successful management of innovation and learn how to differentiate between innovation in core business and transformative business. The activities will support you to identify the factors which will help you successfully manage innovation in your core business, describe the factors that make innovation disruptive for organisations and industries and develop managerial approaches that are used to respond to disruptive innovation. Towards the end of the week, there is an extended discussion between the educators, answering some of the learner questions often asked on this course.

This week, you will explore in more detail the key capabilities that organisations need to manage innovation and examine the managerial and organisational responses to the challenges of managing for innovation. The activities will introduce the concept of open and collaborative innovation, the core elements of design thinking and the importance of human-centred design. You will evaluate the actions required in your own organisation for gaining value from open and collaborative innovation and explore the corporate knowledge and protectable intellectual property rights (IPRs). You will be able to identify risks associated with IP infringement and consider proactive and reactive strategies. Towards the end of the week you will analyse the current and desired innovation capabilities within your organisation and reflect on the results of the analysis.