Titular Professors
Professors
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Understand how diffusion of innovation process works
- Identify the different phases of the technology adoption lifecycle and the adopter patterns
- Collect and read data on the diffusion of innovations from various sources
- Implement a simulation strategy for diffusion models using Excel
- Determine the characteristics of innovation
- Identify the different adopter patterns and their characteristics
- Identify the different adopter's decision stages
- Understand the problems in characterizing the Knowledge Economy
- Know the limitations of the Knowledge Economy indicators
- Understand the advantages and limitations of the patent system
- Know the different Technology Transfer models
- Looking for Technology Markets
- Understand the role of Mentoring
- Understand the impact of current International Trade Agreements on Knowledge Transfer.
- Understand the relationship between knowledge economy indicators and the diffusion patterns of new technologies
Week 01
- Theory (3h) - Course Introduction; Technology adoption life cycle and S-curves; Diffusion models:
a) Discussion of basic concepts and technology adoption lifecycle
b) Definition of the final project; Introduction to Data Sources
c) Five mathematical models to study the diffusion of innovation
d) Models with one parameter
- Homework
Week 02
- Lab Session (2h) - Review their reports and organize data to start with simulation models
- Theory (1h) - Rogers' adoption framework (I)
Week 03
- Theory (1h) - Rogers' adoption framework (II) Crossing the chasm
- Lab Session (2h) - Simulation Models (Exponential; Influential; Logistic; Gompertz; Bass)
Week 04
- Theory (2h) - Advanced issues of IT adoption - Leapfrogging; Uses and Gratifications; Quitters; Resistance to adoption
- Lab Session (1h) - Getting the results together (Summarizing results; Cluster Design)
Week 05
- Lab Session (1h) - Building the presentation
- Voluntary session (2h) - Review of the theory and labs
Week 06
- Project Checkpoint Presentations - Each group presents the status of their project (10 minutes presentation)
Week 07 - Mid-term exam
Week 8
- Theory (3h) - Knowledge Economy and Information Society
a) Knowledge Economy Index; Global Innovation Index; DESI; Network Readiness Index
b) The Lisbon Strategy and Schumpeter's Creative Destruction Theory
c) EU Innovation Union Scoreboard
d) National Innovation Systems; Definition; Main actors
- Group Assignments: to be prepared and presented in the next class: Challenge 1.
Week 9
- Group presentation session (1,5h) - Knowledge Economy and Information Society
- Theory (1,5h) - Technology Transfer (Definitions. Licensing vs. Newco creation. Two examples: Trinity College vs. Stanford University).
- Group Assignments: to be prepared and present in the next class: Challenge 2
Week 13
- Group presentation session (2h) - The Secret History of Silicon Valley
- Theory (1h) - Accelerating Technology Transfer Tools: tools and techniques; the entrepreneurial state
- No group assignment.
Week 14
- Theory (3h)
a) Intellectual Property
b) Patents; Trade Secrets; Copyright and Trademarks
c) Intellectual Property; IP, and the Music Industry
- Group Assignments: to be prepared and present in the next class: Challenge 3
Week 15
- Group presentation session (1.5 h)
- Theory (1,5 h)
a) Intellectual Property
b) Review of the MP3 Case
Week 16: Exam Review slides
Week 17: Final Exam
The course is divided into two parts.
Part I of the course allows first contact with concepts around the diffusion of innovation and the associated simulation models, the process of simulation using models, and the understanding of the forces that can affect the diffusion. The methodological approach and the pedagogical tools are supported by the eLearning platform (eStudy) and will be intended to provide a comprehensive learning experience. For each topic, a combination of the following tools will be used:
- Lectures: Students will be presented with contents about the major topics covered in the course. Active participation is expected from students.
- Discussion exercises: Questionnaires and exercises will be held to reinforce the concepts of the session. Therefore, students are expected to discuss the key issues of each topic.
- Lab sessions: Some lab sessions will be scheduled to provide substantive support on the learning process of the simulation techniques and models and to assure the progress of the students' Final Project.
- Readings: A list of recommended books and papers is provided for further understanding of the main topics.
Part II of the course is divided into 6 different topics, each focusing on a different aspect of New Technology transfer into the Economy. For each topic, a combination of the following will be used:
- Lectures: Students will be presented with contents about the major topics covered in the course.
- Weekly Assignments: Assignments will be given BEFORE each topic is presented. Therefore, students are not expected to provide a right or wrong answer for each assignment but are expected to think about the main issues of each topic.
- Class discussions: Many cases will be discussed through the course. Maximum benefit for the student will be obtained only if each case has been prepared by previously doing the corresponding weekly assignment.
- Readings: A list of recommended books and papers is provided. In addition, other sources may be referred during the course.
- Videos: When available, relevant videos will also be viewed as additional materials for the class discussions. The final Project Presentation will be a synthesis exercise, studying the relationships between diffusion of specific technologies in selected countries with the countries' performance in the knowledge economy. The diffusion patterns identified in selected countries should be explained in terms of knowledge economy indicators for the same countries.
The Course grade will be based on an overall assessment of the whole course. The Course grade will be based on the following point breakdown:
10%: Class participation (including any weekly assessments)
20%: Project Checkpoint Presentation
- You need to upload this BEFORE Sunday 13th of March
- The deliverable MUST BE a ZIP file containing:
a) Midpoint Deliverables (.PDF)
b) The PowerPoint Presentation you will be presenting (.PPT)
c) All the Completed Spreadsheets and additional documents
20%: challenges Presentation
- You need to upload and present three challenges
- Challenge 1
- Challenge 2
- Challenge 3
- The deliverable MUST BE a ZIP file containing:
a) Project Document/Report (.PDF).
b) PowerPoint Presentation you will be presenting (.PPT)
25%: Mid-term Exam
25%: Final Exam
Important notes regarding passing the course:
1. Both Mid-term and Final exam grades must be higher than 5
2. Both the Project and the Challenges must be presented, regardless of examination performance
3. If a student does not show up in an exam or in the Project or in any of the Challenges, the mark obtained will be NP
Exam Retake Policy:
1. If a student fails an exam, s/he will be permitted to take a retake exam
2. There is no retake for the Project or any of the Challenges
All compulsory material will be provided through the eStudy with specific guidelines for each topic. Complementary information can be found in the following references:
Part I
Rogers, E.M. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations, 4th Ed., The Free Press, New York.
Schumpeter, J. (1934). The Theory of Economic Development, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Moore, G.A. (2002). Crossing the Chasm. New York: HarperCollins.
Kim, M. & Kim, H. (2004). Innovation diffusion of telecommunications: General patterns, diffusion clusters and differences by technological attribute. International Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 8, pp. 223-241.
Stafford, T.F. (2003). Differentiating between adopter categories in the uses and gratifications for Internet services. Engineering Management, IEEE Transactions on, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 427-435.
Teng, J.T.C., Grover, V. & Guttler, W. (2002). Information technology innovations: general diffusion patterns and its relationships to innovation characteristics. Engineering Management, IEEE Transactions on, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 13-27.
Part II
OECD. (1996). The Knowledge-Based Economy.
Scotchmer, S. & Maurer, S. M. (2004). A primer for non-lawyers on Intellectual property, in Susan Scotchmer, Innovation and Incentives, MIT Press, p. 65-95.