Aim
The overall aim of the course is for students to acquire a basic understanding of how firms in a variety of sectors develop and implement strategies in the context of global competition. General objectives are for students to grasp why profiting from R&D and knowledge assets has become a central theme in strategic thinking. More specific objectives are for students to become familiar with several strategic mechanisms and processes in a variety of sectors, including vertical disintegration (outsourcing and networking), the appropriation and use of knowledge (innovation systems, etc.). Practical objectives are for students to use basic concepts to discuss strategic options in the globalization of innovation and to apply the main lessons of the course in problem-oriented empirical research.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• why innovation has become a central element of strategic management

• how an organisation can acquire, develop and exploit knowledge required for innovation at a global scale

• of the various roles that different organisations and institutions have in global innovation networks

• of the role that vertical (dis)integration plays for innovation-based competitiveness

• how firms can succesfully exploit its knowledge for innovation at a global scale

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to apply basic concepts discussed in the course to discuss strategic management decisions in international firms

• be able to summarize the course's main topics and demonstrate in group-based presentations how knowledge acquired in the course can be used in problem-based real-world questions

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• have the ability to independently analyze the globalization of innovation process

Contents
The course provides a basic understanding of how different technological strategies are formed in global competition. It will concentrate primarily on outlining the changing geographic patterns of innovation, the integration of business networks at regional and global levels, and how they are changing in response to ongoing processes of globalization.

Literature
Articles.

Code: 0112. Name: Written Examination.
Higher education credits: 5. Grading scale: TH. Assessment: 5: awarded if you have clearly met all the objective, displaying deep knowledge of the base content, original and creative thinking, perhaps going beyond the established practice; 4: awarded when all objectives have been met very well and effectively; 3: awarded when the objectives have been addressed satisfactorily, or where the evidence is strong for some objectives, weaker but acceptable in others. Contents: A written exam. Further information: A re-examination possibility will only be offered to students that have not received a passing grade.

Code: 0212. Name: Group Exercises.
Higher education credits: 2,5. Grading scale: TH. Assessment: 5: awarded if you have clearly met all the objective, displaying deep knowledge of the base content, original and creative thinking, perhaps going beyond the established practice; 4: awarded when all objectives have been met very well and effectively; 3: awarded when the objectives have been addressed satisfactorily, or where the evidence is strong for some objectives, weaker but acceptable in others. Further information: A re-examination possibility will only be offered to students that have not received a passing grade.