Technological innovation is a differentiator for companies to lead around the world. That is why training courses for managers in the area are so important, such as specialization in Strategic Management of Technological Innovation (GEIT), offered by the Department of Scientific and Technological Policy of the Geosciences Institute (DPCT-IG) of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), which celebrates 20 years of operation in 2022.
In Brazil, 33,6% of the 116.962 Brazilian companies made some type of innovation in products or processes between 2015 and 2017, according to the latest Innovation Research (PINTEC) triennial, published in 2020 and carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
Despite there being a low percentage of innovative companies, the survey showed that investment in internal Research and Development (R&D) activities corresponded to the largest portion of innovation spending among them, demonstrating that the topic is a relevant topic in the Brazilian business sector. However, among companies that do not innovate or have difficulty innovating, the lack of processes and even specialized professionals to promote innovation is still one of the main problems.
According to a 2021 survey carried out by the private consultancy PALLAS, which interviewed 60 Brazilian companies that do or do not innovate from different sectors, 35% of the companies responded that they do not have processes to innovate, while 41% said they have disintegrated processes. It is also a minority (13% of companies) that offers innovation-oriented training to their teams.
Professor Ruy Quadros, coordinator of GEIT, explains that investing in culture and training focused on innovation for professionals from public and private institutions is one of the first steps towards structuring processes and an area of innovation. This is what motivated, two decades ago, the creation of Unicamp's technological innovation specialization, one of the main specialization courses in Brazil aimed at professionals in the sector, especially those who take on leadership roles.
The specialization course in Strategic Management of Technological Innovation is carried out via the Unicamp Extension School (extecamp) and has Registration open for the next class.
“We are celebrating 20 years of the Strategic Management of Technological Innovation course. What began as a specialization course, in 2003, became a true professional and institutional training program, which unfolded not only in several classes of the aforementioned course, but also in the offering of important closed courses in-company and in other extension actions with companies, government agencies and associative entities”, celebrates Quadros.
The main objective of the specialization, lasting two years, is to train innovation and R&D managers in companies and Science and Technology Institutions (ICTs). Considering the graduating class of the specialization in 2022, more than 600 professionals have already become specialists at Unicamp in Strategic Management of Technological Innovation:
“By training professionals, we seek to help the organizations in which they work become capable of mobilizing knowledge and technological and marketing skills to create new products, processes, services and businesses, as the basis of a sustainable growth strategy. Today, we see that the course brings together many leaders from multinationals and Brazilian companies, that is, those seeking strategic foundations on R&D, Innovation and new businesses to make decisions”, comments the coordinator.
360° Training in Strategic Management of Technological Innovation
Considered a “living laboratory” of innovation, Unicamp’s specialization brings together practical and theoretical activities that train managers in the best innovation actions based on consolidated tools in the area, such as designing strategies based on roadmaps (map of best technological routes), portfolio and project management for the development of new technologies and open innovation, carried out in partnership with universities or other companies and institutions.
“We also offer fundamentals and tools on emerging and challenging topics. The digital transformation of the business model, corporate engagement with startups and the development of ecosystems are some of the topics that we have brought with significant space in the course to provide specialized training, considering the problems that area managers face today”, explains Quadros .
The classes are also heterogeneous in each student's areas of activity, allowing the consolidation of a broad relationship network of innovation managers, who can share common problems with each other to discuss solutions together, a difference highlighted by those who specialized in the course, such as R&D manager for Latin America at Solvay, Fernanda Costa:
"The Strategic Management of Technological Innovation course gave me a more strategic vision in relation to approaches, tools, instruments, literature and innovation ecosystem. The interactions with colleagues from different industries and the high level of module teachers were especially enriching, from academics to many company leaders who brought real examples of the application of concepts. I feel even more equipped to manage the Research & Innovation department of the business unit I lead, in addition to having richly expanded my professional and personal network", he argues Coast.
The course works with professors from Unicamp and professors and guest speakers from other schools, such as the University of São Paulo (USP), the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV), the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), as well as innovation leaders from several companies that share success stories in their institutions.
In one of these practical activities, the last specialization class visited some Incubated startups at the Unicamp Technology-Based Business Incubator (Incamp), under the management of Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency, learning about the process of innovation and entrepreneurship fostered by Inova, Unicamp's Technological Innovation Center.
“It is the perfect balance between experience and theoretical knowledge, with an excellent teaching staff, which supports the construction of solid knowledge in the strategic management of innovation. The curriculum is contemporary, covering the various facets of technological innovation. The professional impact of this course on my career was enormous, opening up opportunities that were beyond my reach until then", comments Jorge Biazussi, current specialist in engineering services at Baker Hughes, who moved from academic research at the University to the business sector.
With the intention of promoting projects to encourage innovation, the specialization also encourages students to develop their Course Conclusion Works focused on practical and real problems of the companies to which they are linked.
Registration for the 12th GEIT Unicamp class
Professionals interested in specializing in Strategic Management of Technological Innovation at Unicamp can sign up for the selection process of the next class, which will have classes in a hybrid format, interspersing face-to-face meetings at IG Unicamp and on an online platform. For in-person class days, students will be offered dinner and coffee break at the classroom location.
The course has national coverage, serving professionals from all over the country. To enable the participation of professionals from other Brazilian cities and states, classes are offered in a hybrid format, with monthly in-person sessions (Friday evenings and Saturday mornings) and weekly remote sessions (Friday evenings). The next class is scheduled to start on March 24, 2023 and end on December 07, 2024.
More information about the experience provided by the course, the selection process and investment can be accessed on the website.
Article originally published on the Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency website.
