Students will learn how to be a primary force of innovation, they will be encouraged to be creative and directly involved in market challenges, and be asked to help companies to solve issues connected with products innovation.

Innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity are key-factors in contemporary management and marketing. Firms can win the competition challenge when are able to produce new products and services.

Product/service innovation is one of the main responsibilities of a marketing manager and, at the same time, a challenge for the entire management by stimulating innovation, motivating creativity, constantly producing new products/services, acting proactively anticipating either market/individual needs and competitors. Innovation goes beyond the simple production process, being part of companies’ mission and their organizational culture. Innovation is the core of successful contemporary companies.

Primary goal of the course is to encourage students to be innovative by improving their entrepreneurial and creative attitude. The course will focus on the process of designing, launching and managing new products/services. Product or service development is central to management in general, as well as to marketing activities, as it allows innovation to meet the evolution of market needs and opportunities.

Every year thousands of new products/services are introduced into the market, generating novelty, calling for brand development and for important marketing investments. However, the success rate of new products tends to be very low. Main reason for that is the complexity of process itself that goes well beyond creativity and good ideas, being the combination of innovation, technical skills and operational capabilities.

The course investigates the process of new products management, starting from the birth of an idea and of a concept, up to the evaluation of the project and its development. It also helps students to understand the dynamic of innovation within organizations, particularly it aims to create and strengthen a culture of innovation.

The course is organized as a workshop for new products/services development, allowing the students to explore market opportunities and to propose new concepts to the market.

Students will enjoy the unique opportunity to work closely to International and Italian based companies, whose goal is to help them developing new products and services to win the market challenge.

Entrepreneurs and business people involved in the innovation business are invited to lecture, such as representatives of 3M, Barilla, Casa.it, Cisco, Microsoft and others. Companies cases will be presented and discussed together with simulation games and direct field experience.

-       - Innovation and Entrepreneurship

-       - New Product Process

-       - Opportunity Identification and Selection

-       - Strategic Planning

-       - Idea Generation, Preparation and Alternatives

-       - Concept/Project Evaluation

-       - Development

-       - Launch

-       - Developing a Business Plan

-       - Fund Raising

Upon successful completion of all the course assignments, the student will be able to:

-       - Demonstrate a certain attitude to innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship

-       - Understand the overall process of new products/services development and management

-       - Explore and identify market opportunities and marketing trends

-       - Apply technical skills to concept development and evaluation

-       - Acknowledge different types of new products and services

-       - Apply market segmentation

-       - Perform sales forecast and project financial analysis

-       - Develop an overall branding and product strategy

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B:  This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D:  This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.