Teacher(s)
Language
English
Prerequisites
The material covered in the corporate strategy course of bachelor in Business engineering. More generally, in terms of competencies, the students are expected to have knowledge of the basic concepts of strategic management.
Main themes
The design and implementation of innovation-based strategies by corporations.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| 1 | The purpose of the course is to develop students’ knowledge in corporate strategy with a specific focus on the strategic issues raised by IT innovations and, more generally, the rise of the knowledge economy. The course is a level II course in corporate strategy. It means we expect that the students have already attended an introductory course in strategic management and have acquired the fundamentals of strategic management (e.g.: external and internal analysis; generic strategies; portfolio analysis). The study of corporate strategy is thus based on a synthetic approach that must look at the company as a whole and look at it from the perspective of its future, while expectations are becoming more and more uncertain. The learning objectives are the following:
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Content
Strategic Innovation Management is a transdisciplinary capstone course based on a Living Lab Education Framework and implemented through LSM L-Labs at Louvain School of Management. Guided by a Sustainable Innovative Entrepreneurship philosophy, it operates as a real-world laboratory in which students, academics, practitioners and other stakeholders jointly explore evolving innovation challenges. It connects rigorous inquiry with creativity, collaborative learning and experimentation to develop transformative responses capable of contributing to tangible social, economic and environmental impact.
The course examines how organisations and initiatives recognise opportunities, mobilise creativity, set innovation priorities and take informed risks while navigating uncertainty and complexity. Students explore organisational ambidexterity by connecting exploration—searching, experimenting and developing new possibilities—with exploitation—refining, implementing and scaling existing knowledge and capabilities. They assess how this balance shapes innovation portfolios, business models and organisational transformation. Disruption is considered both as an external force requiring adaptation and as a potential outcome of innovation.
A systems perspective reveals how economic, institutional, technological, geopolitical, social and environmental forces shape innovation. An ecosystem perspective examines how entrepreneurs, businesses, investors, public authorities, communities, universities and other actors combine knowledge, resources and legitimacy to create value. Through an evolving real-world challenge, students confront new information and external shocks, question their assumptions and adapt their innovation pathways. Strategic innovation frameworks are brought into dialogue with multidisciplinary knowledge, contextual evidence and practitioner experience to co-develop pathways towards performance and sustainable impact through responsible risk-taking and resilience.
The course examines how organisations and initiatives recognise opportunities, mobilise creativity, set innovation priorities and take informed risks while navigating uncertainty and complexity. Students explore organisational ambidexterity by connecting exploration—searching, experimenting and developing new possibilities—with exploitation—refining, implementing and scaling existing knowledge and capabilities. They assess how this balance shapes innovation portfolios, business models and organisational transformation. Disruption is considered both as an external force requiring adaptation and as a potential outcome of innovation.
A systems perspective reveals how economic, institutional, technological, geopolitical, social and environmental forces shape innovation. An ecosystem perspective examines how entrepreneurs, businesses, investors, public authorities, communities, universities and other actors combine knowledge, resources and legitimacy to create value. Through an evolving real-world challenge, students confront new information and external shocks, question their assumptions and adapt their innovation pathways. Strategic innovation frameworks are brought into dialogue with multidisciplinary knowledge, contextual evidence and practitioner experience to co-develop pathways towards performance and sustainable impact through responsible risk-taking and resilience.
Teaching methods
The course is structured as a transformative collective journey, experiential and collaborative in nature, that moves from Real Life to collective impact through three connected movements: Bringing Real Life into the Classroom, Bringing the Classroom into Real Life, and Connecting the Unconnected. Throughout this journey, Sustainable Innovative Entrepreneurship provides an integrative intellectual philosophy connecting strategic performance and innovation with responsibility, resilience, and social, economic and environmental impact. A final reflective report integrates the complete journey and its strategic, collective and individual learning.
Movement 1 - BRINGING REAL LIFE INTO THE CLASSROOM. During the Bootcamp, randomly formed teams learn by doing through a born-global business simulation, from venture creation to early international growth and scaling. They experience how interdependent decisions influence performance. Lectures, required readings, pre-reading materials and interventions by guest protagonists provide the conceptual and contextual foundations for the real-world challenge.
Movement 2 - BRINGING THE CLASSROOM INTO REAL LIFE. Through the Fast Track, new cross-track teams address a real organisation or initiative facing an external shock arising from a global challenge. Students mobilise strategic innovation and international-management perspectives, engage with practitioners, test their assumptions and develop an implementable innovation pathway under evolving conditions.
Movement 3 - CONNECTING THE UNCONNECTED. This movement culminates in the Grand Jury, Poster Session and LSM L-Labs Workshop, in which active participation is required. Students connect disciplines, knowledge, perspectives and actors by presenting and defending their recommendations, engaging with other teams and contributing to exchanges with academic and practitioner stakeholders.
Real Life also encompasses the students’ experience within their teams, including diversity of perspectives, leadership, coordination, differences and shared responsibility.
THE FINAL REFLECTIVE REPORT connects the Bootcamp decisions and performance results with the Fast Track recommendation, stakeholder interactions and feedback. Its collective and individual components assess the outcomes achieved, the processes through which they were produced and the learning generated across the journey.
Movement 1 - BRINGING REAL LIFE INTO THE CLASSROOM. During the Bootcamp, randomly formed teams learn by doing through a born-global business simulation, from venture creation to early international growth and scaling. They experience how interdependent decisions influence performance. Lectures, required readings, pre-reading materials and interventions by guest protagonists provide the conceptual and contextual foundations for the real-world challenge.
Movement 2 - BRINGING THE CLASSROOM INTO REAL LIFE. Through the Fast Track, new cross-track teams address a real organisation or initiative facing an external shock arising from a global challenge. Students mobilise strategic innovation and international-management perspectives, engage with practitioners, test their assumptions and develop an implementable innovation pathway under evolving conditions.
Movement 3 - CONNECTING THE UNCONNECTED. This movement culminates in the Grand Jury, Poster Session and LSM L-Labs Workshop, in which active participation is required. Students connect disciplines, knowledge, perspectives and actors by presenting and defending their recommendations, engaging with other teams and contributing to exchanges with academic and practitioner stakeholders.
Real Life also encompasses the students’ experience within their teams, including diversity of perspectives, leadership, coordination, differences and shared responsibility.
THE FINAL REFLECTIVE REPORT connects the Bootcamp decisions and performance results with the Fast Track recommendation, stakeholder interactions and feedback. Its collective and individual components assess the outcomes achieved, the processes through which they were produced and the learning generated across the journey.
Evaluation methods
Continuous assessment covers the results achieved, the process through which they are produced, and the collective and individual learning generated throughout the journey.
Collective assessment (70%)
Activities requiring participation cannot be repeated during the second examination session. The resit consists of an individual Fast Track case analysis or research paper and may be organised orally when few students are registered. Detailed arrangements and course policies are communicated through Moodle.
Because assessed teamwork begins with the Bootcamp, students who join the course after its completion cannot participate in or be assessed for the Bootcamp components, which represent 30% of the final grade.
Collective assessment (70%)
- Bootcamp simulation performance: 20%
- Bootcamp deliverables and executive briefing: 10%
- Fast Track innovation strategy and Grand Jury defence: 20%
- Poster Session: 10%
- Final reflective report – collective component: 10%
- Active participation, including the compulsory LSM L-Labs Workshop: 10%
- Final reflective report – individual component: 20%
Activities requiring participation cannot be repeated during the second examination session. The resit consists of an individual Fast Track case analysis or research paper and may be organised orally when few students are registered. Detailed arrangements and course policies are communicated through Moodle.
Because assessed teamwork begins with the Bootcamp, students who join the course after its completion cannot participate in or be assessed for the Bootcamp components, which represent 30% of the final grade.
Other information
The detailed calendar, team arrangements, milestones and submission instructions are provided through Moodle. Because the course addresses an evolving real-world innovation challenge, additional information and pedagogical scenario elements may be released during the learning journey.
Online resources
Moodle provides access to the course schedule, announcements, required readings, pre-reading and case materials, activity instructions, submission links and assessment guidance. Access to the born-global business simulation and other digital resources is provided through the designated online platforms.
Course materials include lecture slides, required readings, born-global business simulation resources, pre-reading packs, real-world innovation challenge and shock materials, and guidance for the Fast Track, Grand Jury, Poster Session, LSM L-Labs Workshop and final reflective report. Materials are released progressively in line with the learning journey.
Course materials include lecture slides, required readings, born-global business simulation resources, pre-reading packs, real-world innovation challenge and shock materials, and guidance for the Fast Track, Grand Jury, Poster Session, LSM L-Labs Workshop and final reflective report. Materials are released progressively in line with the learning journey.
Bibliography
A selected bibliography covering strategic innovation management, Sustainable Innovative Entrepreneurship, creativity, exploration and exploitation, organisational ambidexterity, systems and ecosystem perspectives, responsible innovation and resilience is provided in the course pack and updated through Moodle. Additional readings and case-specific sources may be introduced as the real-world challenge evolves.
Faculty or entity
