SS23

Learning Outcomes

The Technology Management module mainly provides specific knowledge in strategic and operational tasks of technology management, strategic technology and business foresight, and methods and tools of technology management. In project-based group work, the students will be enabled to effectively apply methods related to strategic foresight (e.g., technology profiles, scenario analysis). They will learn to perform autonomous research on background information and apply specific tools in groups using methods learned in class. Critical reflection on selected topics from technology management is encouraged.

Content

The conceptual part covers the importance of and means for identification and usage of technology for the corporate competitiveness. The most relevant tools of technology management are introduced, they are presented as interlinked elements of a comprehensive corporate technology management system, and their importance is discussed. Here, the focus is on technology lifecycle analysis, technology trend curves, technology portfolios, scenario analysis, and road mapping. Another toolset relates to strategic foresight, where forecasts are made by technology roadmaps and scenario analysis to identify and qualify technology trends. In the practical part of the course, the different methods will be applied by student groups in a project working with real-life examples and challenges. This task is supported, among others, by selected software tools, literature reviews, or in cooperation with start-ups and organizations.

Description of Teaching and Learning Methods

In the theoretical part, the knowledge of the module provides and discusses current research results. In the practical part, student groups will be formed early on in the term and technologies are assigned. Selected companies present technologies of interest and will deliver tasks related to the status, potential and development trajectories of these technologies, which will be worked on by the students. Parallel to the theoretical part, students will engage in project-based group work to apply the acquired knowledge. The group work includes, for instance, the development and analysis of a scenario chosen by the groups supported by software tools, the analysis of the technology life-cycle of the given technology, and the assessment of the technology’s potential based on interdependencies with other technologies. The student groups are required to derive implications and recommendations based on their analysis that are relevant to organizations dealing with the given technology.