We are standing on the edge of a technological revolution that will fundamentally change our lives unlike anything humankind has experienced before. Like the three previous revolutions, the 4th Industrial Revolution has the potential to improve the quality of life for the major part of the world’s populations.
However, the platform ecosystems and the acceleration of technology innovation, combined with the velocity of business model disruptions are becoming complex to anticipate. Even the most connected and best-informed business leaders need to set aside their most natural survival instincts in order to understand this fast-changing environment, challenge the assumptions of their operating teams and continuously innovate for long term existence.
It is time for real business innovation practices to drive the transformation of companies.
For this reason, Porto Business School has developed a comprehensive study program for individuals who believe that business innovation is on the critical path to transforming our social systems, going beyond simple technology and process automation.
The Executive Master in Business Innovation sets out to develop the necessary conceptualising and innovation leadership skills. The capability to shape and steer a course is equally important to a corporate intrapreneur, as it is to entrepreneurs seeking to launch or grow businesses, to family business successors, internal venture project managers or specialists such as engineers or professionals seeking to re-orient their career.
To achieve these goals, we created an executive part-time master, structured over 7 months. Within the programme, there is a course called Challenge Based Innovation Project where multidisciplinary student teams and their instructors collaborate with researchers and scientists at CERN to discover novel solutions for the future of humankind, with the particular focus in urban ecosystems. CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) is a great partner in this endeavour due to its potential in the form of knowledge and new technologies that could be applied in new areas.
The projects aim at strengthening the links between Porto Business School and the city through the identification and tackling of urban challenges. Multidisciplinary student teams will work closely with public and private organizations in creating novel solutions to pressing problems and bridge the gap between science (HEI and research centres) and society (citizens and industry), with innovative business models.
During the project, the goal is to prototype new business models that showcase a deep understanding of real societal urban needs and that use both a customer-centric and a triple-bottom-line approach.
