Acuity Edge: Duke MEM Program-Commercializing Technology Innovations

The Master of Engineering Management professional degree program develops future industry leaders by combining a core management curriculum with a masters level technical education and an engineering internship. The program combines technical courses and includes business law, finance, marketing, and management courses with an emphasis on technology management, innovation management and entrepreneurship. The degree is offered with the support of the Fuqua School of Business and the Duke School of Law.

Go to the Duke MEM program Web site

Acuity Edge CEO, Joseph Holmes, will be teaching a course this fall for the Duke MEM program on "Commercializing Technology Innovations."

This course is designed to demystify and unify the journey from idea creation to value extraction through the use of concrete tools and real-world exercises. Innovations have many sources (e.g., individuals, companies, universities, government labs) and many vehicles for commercialization (e.g., licensing, new products, enhanced products, and new ventures). Through this course, students will learn to think more broadly about technology innovation, commercialization options, and value-extraction strategies. The intent of the course is to arm each student with tangible tools for turning visions into value regardless of career path.

By design, the course is not wed to a particular field of study (e.g., R&D, new product development, new ventures, technology transfer, inventor literature) or to a particular commercialization pathway (e.g., new venture creation, new product development, or technology transfer/licensing). Rather, this course draws upon and celebrates the often unappreciated synergy among all of the aforementioned topics.

The course leverages The Innovation EDGE^TMframework to provide a structured view of commercialization. The Innovation EDGE^TM was developed by Professor Holmes and published in Business Week in 2005 (see expanded article).

The Innovation Edge The course objective is to enable students to answer the following:

Innovation Framework: What are the steps between idea creation and value extraction? What questions should one be considering throughout the commercialization process to stay on track?
Evaluation Process: If so few ideas make money, then what methods exist to identify commercial diamonds in the rough? What evaluation factors are relevant and how do you gain information on each?
Value Extraction Strategies: What are the different ways one can extract value from an idea? What are the pros and cons of each path? How do you decide which path is best?
Commercialization Tools: If pursuing the commercialization of an idea, what techniques can be used to minimize risk and increase rewards?

For additional information, contact the Duke MEM program at (919) 660-5455 or visit their Web site.

DUKE MEM PROGRAM: Commercializing Technology Innovations