Solution and Innovation Skills

Acquire innovation skills, learn how to create solutions and apply the latest research to professional and personal life situations. Work with peers and mentors in a collaborative online course and gain university credits.

Phase 1 Oct 08 - Oct 18 Dynamics of Innovation

Define the potential of the subject, its challenges and benefits.

Three tasks lead the participants right into the innovation process: an individual task, a group task, and a community task. Architects of gothic cathedrals, Picasso and Beethoven will show the way.

  Phase 2 Oct 19 - Nov 01 Questioning and Exploring

Problem Identification | Exploration & Creativity | Collaboration & Leadership 

All innovation begins with asking the right questions. Then follows the art of opening up solution spaces and exploring them effectively. Team-based innovation requires collaboration. Leadership will mobilize the wish in people to discover new solutions under challenging conditions. In this way you will learn about techniques with which to discover the unknown.

  Phase 3 Nov 02 - Nov 15 Solving and Returning

Complex Problem Solving | Learning Lifelong Learning | Change Management

Solving the problems that are blocking us from successful innovations is primarily a process of learning. Good strategies of learning can be acquired, practiced and repeated. Learning processes characterize organizational processes as well. Therefore innovations should be implemented within strong change management frameworks that help innovation leaders to increase their acceptance.

  Phase 4 Nov 16 - Nov 22 Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship

Opportunity Identification | Digital Technology Revolution | Dilemma Structures

The identification of opportunities and their exploitation are core skills both of successful entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Gain insights how ideas turn into opportunities, how the digital technology revolution will impact our future, and how dilemma structures are a source of innovation and inspiration.

  Phase 5 Nov 23 - Nov 29 Value Creation

Returns to Skills | Complexity Value | Disruptive and Incremental Innovativeness

Innovation is hard and innovators can be lonely – but it pays off. Innovative organizations are drivers of value creation, which maximizes chances for long-term success. Personal skills are an investment good and the rate of returns on skills in the labor market is surprisingly high. Diversity and complexity create value if they can be organized well. Disruptive and incremental innovations can be equally powerful.

  Phase 6 Nov 30 - Dec 13 Preparing for the Future

Track the learning progress and draw conclusions.