Economics of Innovation

Summary

This class will provide students with an understanding of some real-world issues related to the "knowledge economy." Why should we innovate as a society? Why innovation doesn't just happen and how can the government help firms innovate? We will answer these questions and others using economic tools.

Content

Keywords

Economics; Science, Technology and Innovation; Knowledge; Policy

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

No prerequisite needed

Important concepts to start the course

Students are not expected to know economic concepts before taking this course.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Define some economic concepts
• Analyze real-world situations related to innovation
• Assess / Evaluate the relevance of innovation policy tools
• Interpret the economic literature in light of the concepts seen in class

Transversal skills

• Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
• Take account of the social and human dimensions of the engineering profession.
• Summarize an article or a technical report.

Teaching methods

Formal lectures with handouts.

Expected student activities

Students are expected to actively participate and engage in class discussion.

Assessment methods

• 100% final exam (during the semester)

Supervision

Resources

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

No

Notes/Handbook

No reference books needed. Handouts are self contained.

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/MGT-303