Innovation Public Policy

1.5 or 3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Technology and innovation have powered an unprecedented rise in human welfare over the last three centuries. Today, AI and other rapidly evolving technologies are driving disruptive changes through all sectors of the economy. We live in one of the most consequential eras of technological and economic transformation in history: Technological change is rapid, competition between companies and nations is fierce, and the societal stakes could not be higher. Building the innovation capability of our organizations is more important than ever, as is understanding the various tools of innovation policy and how they can be used to promote prosperity and welfare. After taking this course, students will understand how innovation works in practice, how to lead innovation in any organization, and which public policies can be used to promote innovation at the national level and beyond. We will discuss the current drive to reindustrialize the USA, and how industrial and innovation policies are intertwined. We will debate the societal issues and policy challenges posed by new disruptive technologies, including the need for AI and bio ethics, automation job losses and what they mean for the future of work, unequal progress, loss of human agency and privacy, and the challenges to individual freedom.