059912 VU Digital Innovation Lab (2024S)

This is a course on digital entrepreneurship and innovation. It is part of the Digital Entrepreneurship Innovation Lab Program: https://ilabs.univie.ac.at/ bringing students and researchers from different disciplines together to collaborate on innovations and entrepreneurial ideas.

The goals of this course are twofold:
1 | You will learn about theoretical foundations in the fields of innovation, (digital) entrepreneurship, business models/modeling, legal & ethical issues, as well as advanced topics in data science such as deep learning, digital ethics, etc. In addition, you will learn about approaches to innovation, knowledge creation, and user-centered design/human-technology relations.
2 | In the second part of the course you will develop a concrete innovation project where the theoretical insights from part 1 are applied and design a first prototype.

The overarching scope of this project addresses the topic of (the future of) human-technology-relations; it is understood as an interdisciplinary challenge that is not only restricted to technological issues, but considers humanities (philosophy, social science, etc.) as a key element for being able to create sustainable innovations.
This happens in the format of an innovation atelier, in which an innovation prototype is developed in different workshop settings; The innovation process follows the approach of emergent innovation ("Learning from the future as it emerges" | Theory-U) and extends from brainstorming, research and observation processes, identification of future potentials, prototyping and selected methods of design thinking to the development and presentation of a first prototype.
In this course, state-of-the-art innovation and knowledge generation concepts and technologies are practically applied in concrete settings (e.g. making implicit assumptions explicit, understanding perception and thought patterns, theory-u/presencing, various modes of profound and qualitative/ ethnographic observation, interviews, deep knowing, exploring potential, prototyping, etc.).
Students work (individually and in innovation teams) & autonomously under the guidance of the course instructors along a predefined innovation process on an innovation project; in this way they learn theoretical and practical skills and mindsets to carry out their own future-driven innovation project. The course instructors accompany the students and innovation teams as a coach/facilitator through this innovation process.

Learning outcomes:
> understanding basics of innovation and its relation to entrepreneurship
> understanding the differences between innovation approaches and their theoretical foundations with respect to change and novelty (philosophy of science, cognitive science)
> ability to develop an innovation project in an innovation team
> knowledge of group/team and communication dynamics, understanding their importance in innovation processes (in terms of socio-epistemic knowledge creation), and ability to consider and facilitate such dynamics
> basic knowledge and understanding of observation methods and strategies
> knowing why, how, and when to apply observation strategies in innovation projects
> understanding prototyping and its principles and purpose
> knowing how and when to apply prototyping strategies/methods in innovation projects
> fundamentals of human-computer interaction, human-technology interaction; its principles and design
> basics of human-centered design
> understanding of concepts: (digital) entrepreneurship, business models/modeling, legal & ethical issues, advanced topics in data science such as deep learning and financial econometrics

Target groups: This course is open to students of all majors; it is interdisciplinary and is particularly aimed at students who are interested in going through a state-of-the art innovation process and whose future field of work is in knowledge- and innovation-intensive fields/areas and or entrepreneurial/start-up contexts.