Innovative Processes and Their Staging, CPH (2013)

Description: While innovation is increasingly depending on the incorporation of knowledge from a diversity of sources, questions are raised as to what kinds of sources, and how they are incorporated in processes of innovation. As innovative challenges and conditions are changing with increasing pace these questions cannot just be solved through a singular choice of organisation or established guidelines for selecting innovative ideas. Issues of how to stage the scene and circumstances and how to facilitate processes and the involvement of diverse actors in innovation have increasingly come into focus. Successful innovation is seen as the outcome of interactions within a broader network spanning across diverse organisational and societal boundaries and institutions. There is a need to address the creation and navigation of new fora and spaces for development where existing frames of understandings may be challenged and new patterns for interactions emerge.

The course takes its departure in the well described dilemmas between incremental but often path dependent innovative processes within established networks and the quest for the development of new innovative, disruptive or breakthrough ideas, product and services facilitated through new networked relations. A range of theories, cases and approaches concerned with the framing, organising and staging of innovative processes, from linear sequential models to complex, dynamic networks of innovation are treated and related to the current work of the participants.

During the course, a dialogue is created between the participants’ projects and a diversity of understandings of the management and staging of innovation from organisation, institutional theory and sociology of innovation. The idea is to direct inquiry and to stimulate theoretical insights and empirical approaches in the field of innovation. The course introduces concepts which help render relevant phenomena and issues (relationships, dynamics, consequences) in the participants’ projects visible and open to investigation and analysis. This would, in turn, also help in delineating hypotheses of relevance to the investigation of innovative processes and their staging, and in proposing new directions for research in the field.

The program will cover the following themes:
- Challenges in innovation management and the staging of innovative processes
- From planning and calculation to social learning and translation of interests
- ‘Co-creation’ and ‘path creation’ as heterogeneous network building,
- Staging and navigation of temporary spaces for innovation across knowledge boundaries

Form:
The students should be familiar with basic understandings of innovative processes from innovation theory or science and technology studies (the STS field) on an academic master level.

The program includes teacher presentations, student presentations, company talks and dialogue sessions where students will receive feedback on their presentations and projects from fellow students as well as teachers.

As a preparation to the first assembly, participants should prepare a case or a theoretical perspective (oral supported with ppt) within the theme of the course.

Between the first and second assembly participants write a five page analysis bringing theory to bear on selected case material of their own choice. These assignments are basis for evaluation and approval of participation. In addition participants will be asked to fill in a formal evaluation scheme.
Applicants will receive notification of acceptance by Monday, April 29, 2013.
Course fee Participation in the course is free of charge, while any expenses toward accommodation or transportation for participating in the course must be met by the participants themselves.
Organizers: Christian Clausen, professor, cDIST - Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transition, AAU PLAN-CPH, email: chcl@plan.aau.dk Søren Kerndrup, associate professor, SIP, AAU PLAN, email: soeren@plan.aau.dk

Lecturers: Christian Clausen (professor) DIST, Peter Karnøe (professor) DIST and Søren Kerndrup (associate professor) SIP, Department of Development and Planning, AAU, Frank Gertsen (professor) CIP, Department of Business and Management, AAU and Yutaka Yoshinaka (associate professor), DTU Management Engineering.
ECTS: 5
Time: The course is organized in two parts.
Part 1: June 12-13, 2013 and
Part 2: September 16-18, 2013

Place: AAU (Copenhagen and Aalborg)
Zip code: 2450 and 9000
City: Copenhagen SV and Aalborg
Number of seats: 15
Deadline: April 23, 2013

Important information concerning PhD courses

We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 5,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately three months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.