14090 - Innovation Economics

Learning outcomes

The student achieves the analytical tools that are needed to understand the technological and organizational innovation processes occurring in the firms, in the industries, and in the territorial systems, with particular emphasis on the dynamics of selection, diffusion and appropriation of innovation in the markets and in the global value chains.

Course contents

The course deals with the evaluation of the technical progress within the economic theory, the economic impact of the technological innovations in the firm, in the markets, the competition models, and the strategies and the public policies concerning the appropriation rights of the innovations, the emergence of technical standards.

The programme develops in a sequence of four parts:
1. The technical progress in the economic thought,
2. Basics and dynamics of the technological innovation,
3. Technological innovation and Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs),
4. Technological innovation in the markets
During the course the students are trained to case-study analysis, addressing the impact of innovation in the domain of Information and Communication Technologies, and to access statistical data about markets and policies for innovation either in a local and in a global perspective.

Readings/Bibliography

Fariselli P., 2014, Economia dell'innovazione, Giappichelli Editore, Torino.
Extra materials, such as lecture slides and notes, papers and reports, are circulated on the platform IoL.

Teaching methods

The course is developed on 60 hours lectures, delivered on site and/or online, depending on the circumstancesoccurring in the second semester of the AA 2020-21.

To attend the course is therefore highly recommended, to facilitate the learning and to be trained to the analysis of case study and of statistical data.

Assessment methods

The students regularly attending the course are evaluated in two steps:
a) Written test, at the end of the course, on the entire programme.
The test consists of 10 open questions, but with limited length, aiming at assessing:
- correct learning of the basic concepts and models,
- accuracy and synthesius of the answers,
- systematic vision of complex issues.
The test is evaluated by summing up the outcomes of the questions (from 0 to 3 marks for each answer). The results are published anonimously on the teacher's website. The written test admits (or it doesn't admit, if the result is insufficient) to the second step:

b) Oral exam, on the whole programme.

In order to access both the written and oral exams it is necessary to be registered at the correspondent Alma Esami calls. 

There will be one only final evaluation, on a 30 basis, based upon the outcome of the two steps, that will be registered at AlmaEsami.

The evaluation of both the written test and the oral exam is based on the following criteria:
- full scale and accurate preparation on the textbook and extra material,
- synthetic (text, graphic, oral) answers,
- accurate analytic and formal data processing,
- systematic vision of content within and across the programme's topics,
- correct and appropriate language.

Teaching tools

Textbook, slides and notes, papers on case studies and statistical reports.

Office hours

See the website of Patrizia Fariselli