Digital Innovation & Technopreneurship (ISYS90039)

In today’s digital world, the opportunities for innovation, and therefore entrepreneurs, are abundant. Hence, understanding the dynamic relationship between these two and how they interact to create commercially successful ventures has never been more critical.  

Innovation and entrepreneurship are complex topics widely debated in the business, education, and economics communities. This subject focuses on the nature of innovation in the rapidly evolving business landscape and considers what entrepreneurs need to create the climate for successful innovation.   

The subject is relevant to all students, whether they seek to be strategy consultants, budding entrepreneurs, or work as ‘intrapreneurs’ in large organisations. Students will discover in this subject that innovation is more than having great ideas and that entrepreneurs can emerge from diverse backgrounds and industries. 

The subject emphasises the proactive nature of innovation and ‘technopreneurship’, as it will focus on the role of technology, particularly information systems, in driving digitally focused innovative entrepreneurial pursuits. Students will learn about the various behaviours, attitudes, values, and skills needed by the entrepreneur.  

By equipping students with the relevant knowledge and foundational professional skills, this subject aims to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset and inspire and prepare them for success in technology-driven industries by empowering them to create, build, sustain or advise innovative businesses in the digital era. 

INDICATIVE CONTENT 

The subject comprises four themes: 

• Innovation Catalysts – Exploring current perspectives on driving innovation and entrepreneurship in the digital era, including strategies and frameworks for fostering a culture of innovation.
• The Customers' Point of View - Customer-centric approaches to understanding customer needs, and techniques to enable customer involvement in the innovation process.  
• Start-ups and How to Build Yours – Understanding the startup process, from developing a strategic approach and managing risks to building an effective team. Also, how entrepreneurs can establish support networks to navigate challenges and increase their chances of success. 
• Leadership and Management – highlighting the importance of vision and commitment in leading innovative ventures and introducing the business's practical aspects, such as managing operations, finances, compliance and ethical behaviours. 

The subject involves advanced learning activities, including case-based, experiential, and team-based approaches. 

Students learn how to devise and pitch an innovation idea and then present it in written form to investors as an investment proposal. They also develop the necessary professional skills and personal attributes to help them be successful on their entrepreneurial journey. The reflective essays encourage students to focus on “How am I now different as a result of what I have learnt, and what will I now do differently as a result”.  

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, the student is expected to:

• Identify and evaluate the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in creating value in the context of Information Systems, including emerging technologies and trends
• Have developed and applied skills in systems thinking and critical analysis to identify and assess opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship, and to effectively communicate their findings to stakeholders.
• Demonstrate effective business communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills to collaborate with diverse stakeholders in developing and implementing innovative solutions.
• Demonstrate how professional codes of conduct and ethical standards apply to entrepreneurship and innovation in business practice.
• Independently research, critically analyse and synthesise disparate beliefs and theories of entrepreneurship and innovation and present their findings in a well-supported argument.
• Know how to identify their failures and successes by reflecting on their personal development by recognising the importance of a growth mindset and know how to act on these learnings.

Generic skills

On completion of this subject, students should have developed the following generic skills:

• Report writing 

• Oral communication 

• Independent learning 

• Public presentations 

• Teamwork  

• Critical and strategic thinking 

• Case study analysis 

• Reflective writing 

• Ethical Behaviours