Master in Innovation Management

Why study Innovation Management?

The Master’s Degree (Laurea Magistrale) in Innovation Management - MAIN is jointly organized by the University of Trento and the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna of Pisa. This two-year Programme is involved with market leaders and employers in research, industry and government.

MAIN is particularly designed for students interested in entrepreneurship and innovation aiming at management careers in innovative organizations.

Nowadays, innovation skills are the only real tool able to enhance the position of a firm or a collective organization. ICT applications together with market globalization have radically changed business models, organizations, and the competitive environment. The dematerialization of products and resources asks for new approaches in strategies and management.

However, the capacity to generate innovation is not sufficient to ensure market success. That’s why innovation is mainly a management issue rather than a technical one. Specifically, innovation today is an innovation in “service” and therefore requires an interdisciplinary approach that blends and integrates technology, management, computer science, and strategy in order to transform a smart idea into a true market success.

So innovation without innovative management skills is of little use.

MAIN students will learn how to think strategically in order to reduce or take advantage of uncertainty in the markets. Furthermore, students gain theoretical knowledge and practical know-how to select the best innovative strategies for private and public institutions.

Teaching Methodology

MAIN is based on a mixture of teaching methods, which is believed to be the best balance to merge a thorough understanding of theoretical issues with the ability to apply them in real-life situations.

Students are often divided into discussion groups where they are confronted with different business scenarios and asked to solve problems in an effective way. This approach fosters fruitful cooperative learning.

Students get used to time-pressure situations, and through factual learning and a stimulating internship experience, they are provided with a solid platform to make the best possible decision.

MAIN students are also stimulated to participate in the Business Labs (for example, Start-Up Lab, Contamination Lab) together with students from other areas (Engineering, Computer Science, Cognitive Sciences, Biotechnology, etc.). That's a great opportunity to strengthen students' entrepreneurial spirit and soft skills.