Track Innovation in European Business XXL (6 weeks) - Track

Description

Please read the summary below but also the individual course descriptions to gather insight into what your six weeks will look like!

The price shown applies to current students or recent graduates. The price that applies to non-students (professionals) is € 3,625.

The learning approach consists of a blend of applied-theoretical approaches, case studies, real-life examples, excursions and a competition-like business simulation.

The first two weeks will focus on the value of knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship in European business and will familiarise students with the interplay between science and technology and the commercialisation of knowledge and design. You will explore innovation challenges faced by European companies, gain insights into how governments and business cultures in the European Union influence innovation, and discover the traits of innovative ventures and people.

During the second part of the track, we would like to welcome you to our innovation lab! Together with a group of fellow students, you will discover the ins and outs of design thinking, the importance of user-experience and co-creation, and experience first-hand how to innovatsocially-relevant products and services by getting out the door. Our client will provide your team with an assignment, give input and help evaluate your group’s performance. Of course, you won’t have to face this challenge alone. Besides the support of your team members, you will receive intensive coaching from skilled work-field professionals.

The next week will focus on the role of leadership in supporting innovative behaviour and performance happiness. Together with other students, you will discover the key variables of leadership and how leaders can support innovative behaviour, learn how workplace happiness can lead to improved organisational performance, and apply newly found insights by working together with local companies and helping them innovate.

The sixth and final week will teach you how to plan, implement and evaluate an international marketing strategy within a realistic simulated environment. Together with the other participants, you will work as a manager in a small decision-making unit of a manufacturer within a competitive industry. Your goal is to improve your firm's long-term financial performance. Your team's performance will be evaluated via a multi-factor, balanced scorecard evaluation system that includes financial, operational, and customer-facing performance metrics. Will you be in the winning team at the end of the week?

A few key elements of this course are:

• New business models;
• Corporate social responsibility;
• Sustainable innovation;
• Trends & Scenario planning;
• Design Thinking;
• Field trips;
• Practical and applied approaches;
• Business game simulations;
• The role of science & technology.

The following courses are part of this track:

Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Europe: Challenges, Drivers and Business Models

Innovation Lab: Design Thinking for Socially-Relevant Innovation

Leadership for Innovation and Performance Happiness

Global Management: Strategic Marketing, Management and Finance

Lecturers

Bart Toering MSc; Bas Delmee, MSc; Jens Gijbels MBI; Kim van Veldhuijzen, MSc Sandra Hendricks MSc

Target audience

This course is open to all bachelor and master students in the field of business studies and all students who have a background or an interest in innovation within a business setting.

A good command of English is necessary! Given the interactive nature of teaching, students must have the capabilities to actively contribute in class and communicate (understand and speak) in English well, ideally min level B2. .

Aim of the course

This track aims to provide students with fundamentals, best-practices and experience in innovation within European business. The specific learning outcomes of the programme are:

• Understand what the drivers of innovation are;
• Explore business models of successful (socially-relevant) innovation;
• Perform and understand the fundamentals of trend analysis and scenario-planning;
• Have a broad knowledge of the challenges of innovation within Europe;
• Use design thinking to innovate and design services;
• Understand the importance of co-creation and focusing on the user perspective;
• Have insight into the relationship between innovation, leadership, workplace happiness and performance;
• Understand how you as a leader could enable other people and organisations to innovate; 
• Gain insight into your own strengths and weaknesses in the field of vision making, analysis, planning, budgetting, coordinating and cooperating in an international team and in strategic (marketing) management in particular.

Study load

This track requires students to be motivated and able to keep up with a study load of more or less 40 hours per week. This includes lectures, group assignments, field trips and self-study.

Please note: You must attend all learning activities (e.g. workshops, fieldwork) to be able to receive the Certificate of Participation and/or the credits for this course, unless absence is officially approved by the teachers and the coordinator of the Utrecht Summer School.  

Tags

• applied
• brand identity
• Business in Europe
• business technology
• CSR
• excursions
• new business models
• sustainable innovation
• international business
• international marketing
• strategic management
• global management