Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• Analyse the approaches, challenges and trade-offs involved in developing and implementing digital innovation
• Examine how digital technologies such as platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are transforming work and organizations.

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• understand the distinctive characteristics of digital technologies
• explain how digital platforms have changed strategic thinking, firm economics and business models
• analyse how different types of organizations can create, navigate and leverage ecosystems for innovation
• explain the benefits and challenges of open innovation in established firms
• explain the mechanisms and challenges of knowledge collaboration for innovation
• evaluate the potential of data and algorithms in transforming knowledge work
• understand the planned and unintended consequences of digital technologies in organizations
• think critically about the organisational and societal challenges triggered by the emergence of new technologies

Content

Now more than ever, emerging digital technologies, such as robotics, cloud computing, quantum computing, digital platforms and sophisticated learning algorithms that exploit massive trace data, are enabling innovation in unprecedented ways. Digital innovation has not only transformed products and services but has also upended business models, ways of working, forms of organizing and the ability to access ideas and expertise. However, digitally-enabled innovation is challenging because organizations may need to shift away from the very capabilities that underpinned their past successes. In the digital era, managers and professionals need to think differently about fundamental aspects of their business such as its strategy and associated business models, marketing approaches, organizational structures and incentives, cultures and the coordination of expertise. 

In this module, you will learn about digital platforms and ecosystems, artificial intelligence (AI), open innovation and knowledge integration and how they have transformed strategy-making, decision-making, business models, collaboration, expertise, work and organizing. You will also analyse the challenges and trade-offs involved in developing, implementing and scaling digital transformation initiatives. Finally, you will apply key concepts and analytical tools to real world business problems through interactive discussions of case studies.

MODULE OUTLINE

Session 1: Introduction to innovation in a digital age

Session 2: Platforms and ecosystems – part 1

Session 3: Platforms and ecosystems – part 2

Session 4: Algorithms and work

Session 5: Open innovation

Session 6: Knowledge collaboration for innovation

Session 7: Technology and the changing nature of work

Session 8: Student presentations and peer-reviews

Please note that all sessions will be highly interactive and discussion-based. In every session, we will sense-make about real business problems via case studies both collectively and in small groups. Therefore, you are expected to come to class having prepared the assigned case study for that session.

MODULE OUTLINE

Session 1: Introduction to innovation in a digital age

- Understanding what innovation means

- Identifying the distinctive characteristics of digital technologies 

- Introduction to the course, what to expect and how we will work

Session 2: Digital innovation: Platforms and ecosystems

- The new logic of platforms: strategy, structure, business models

- How to launch and scale platforms

- Leveraging ecosystems

Session 3: Platforms and ecosystems (cont’d)

- How to launch a platform

- How to grow and scale a platform

- The importance of context

Session 4: Data and Algorithms

- Big data and business intelligence

- Ethical issues of algorithmic and data-driven ways of working

- Digital transformation with AI

Session 5: Open innovation

- What is open innovation (OI)

- How to design and execute an OI initiative – OI as digital transformation

- Challenges to open collaboration

Session 6: Knowledge collaboration for Innovation

- The role of knowledge in innovation

- Producing novel products, services and processes across knowledge boundaries

- Cross-functional teams and complex collaboration

Session 7: Digital innovation and the changing nature of work and organising

- Technology enabling new ways of working and organizing

- Collaborating with technology

- Organizational and cultural barriers and enablers to digital innovation

Session 8: Student presentations

Learning points of the session:

- Practice presentation skills

- Receive feedback on individual paper

- Practice reviewing skills

Preparation before the session:

Prepare the slides of your presentation (10 min) and practise.

Send your slides to the lecturer and to your reviewer in advance

Read the slides of your classmate and prepare feedback (max 5 min).

During the session:

You will present the main ideas of your paper to the class.

You will receive feedback from the lecturer and a classmate.

You will provide feedback to each other on how each paper can be further developed.

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

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Last modified: 13/10/2023 09:47

Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• Analyse the approaches, challenges and trade-offs involved in developing and implementing digital innovation
• Examine how digital technologies such as platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are transforming work and organizations.

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• understand the distinctive characteristics of digital technologies
• explain how digital platforms have changed strategic thinking, firm economics and business models
• analyse how different types of organizations can create, navigate and leverage ecosystems for innovation
• evaluate the potential of data and algorithms in transforming knowledge work
• explain the mechanisms and challenges of knowledge collaboration for innovation
• explain the benefits and challenges of open innovation in established firms
• understand the planned and unintended consequences of digital technologies in organizations
• think critically about the organisational and societal challenges triggered by the emergence of new technologies

Content

Today, household names such as Apple, Alphabet (Google), Facebook and Amazon continue to outperform their competitors and dominate markets. A core reason: digital innovation. Now more than ever, emerging digital technologies, such as robotics, cloud computing, web-enabled platforms and sophisticated learning algorithms that exploit massive digital trace data, are enabling innovation in unprecedented ways. Digital innovation has not only transformed products and services but has also upended business models, ways of working, forms of organizing and the ability to access ideas and expertise beyond organizational boundaries. However, digitally-enabled innovation is challenging because organizations may need to shift away from the very capabilities that underpinned their past successes. In the digital era, managers and professionals need to think differently about fundamental aspects of their business such as its strategy and associated business models, marketing approaches, culture change, the coordination of expertise and organisational structure. 

In this module, you will analyse the approaches, challenges and trade-offs involved in developing and implementing digital innovation. You will also examine how digital technologies such as digital platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are transforming work and organizations. You will learn by analysing real-world problems and situations across a range of organizations and industries through case studies. Class time will be devoted primarily to applying key concepts and analytical tools via case discussions.

MODULE OUTLINE

Session 1: Introduction to innovation in a digital age

Session 2: Platforms and ecosystems – part 1

Session 3: Platforms and ecosystems – part 2

Session 4: Algorithms and work

Session 5: Open innovation

Session 6: Knowledge collaboration for innovation

Session 7: Technology and the changing nature of work

Session 8: Student presentations and peer-reviews

Please note that all sessions will be highly interactive and discussion-based. In every session, we will sense-make about real business problems via case studies both collectively and in small groups. Therefore, you are expected to come to class having prepared the assigned case study for that session.

MODULE OUTLINE

Session 1: Introduction to innovation in a digital age

- Understanding what innovation means

- Identifying the distinctive characteristics of digital technologies 

- Introduction to the course, what to expect and how we will work

Session 2: Digital innovation: Platforms and ecosystems

- Understanding the new logic platforms: strategy, structure, business models

- Platform strategy – how to launch a platform

- Leveraging ecosystems

Session 3: Platforms and ecosystems (cont’d)

- How to launch a platform

- How to grow and scale a platform

- The importance of context

Session 4: Data and Algorithms

- Big data and business intelligence

- Ethical issues of algorithmic and data-driven ways of working

- AI and organizations: decision making, power and control

Session 5: Open innovation

- What is open innovation

- Crowdsourcing

- Challenges to open collaboration

Session 6: Knowledge collaboration for Innovation

- The role of knowledge in innovation

- Producing novel products, services and processes across knowledge boundaries

- Cross-functional teams and complex collaboration

Session 7: Digital innovation and the changing nature of work and organising

- Technology bringing about new ways of working and organizing

- Collaborating with technology

- Organizational and cultural barriers and enablers to digital innovation

Session 8: Student presentations

Learning points of the session:

- Practice presentation skills

- Receive feedback on individual paper

- Practice reviewing skills

Preparation before the session:

Prepare the slides of your presentation (10 min) and practise.

Send your slides to the lecturer and to your reviewer by Monday November 30 at 500pm.

Read the slides of your classmate and prepare feedback (max 5 min).

During the session:

You will present the main ideas of your paper to the class.

You will receive feedback from the lecturer and a classmate.

You will provide feedback to each other on how each paper can be further developed.

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

 
Last modified: 29/09/2021 12:33

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• understand the kinematical properties of curved surfaces;
• understand the load-carrying mechanisms for plates and shell structures;
• formulate the governing equations of deformation for small displacement behaviour;
• identify the benefits and limitations associated with closed-form solutions;
• appreciate the difference between stretching and bending effects in shells;
• appreciate the effects of geometrical non-linearity;
• be aware of the current state-of-the art in advanced shells;
• understand the nature of stability, instability and multistability in shells, and their practical exploitation.

Content

This module introduces the mechanics of plates and shells: thin-walled elastic surfaces that are important components of many structures and engineering devices. Key kinematical concepts are introduced for describing the initial and deformed shape of surface, either to make the description more succinct, or to reveal essential/invariant properties: these include the familiar Mohr’s circle, surfaces of revolution, and the Gaussian curvature. The relationship between internal strains and external shape is revealed for conventional smooth elastic shells. The manufacture of traditional engineering shells is reviewed, and their constitutive response is formulated: more “advanced” shell materials are introduced, including smart materials. The imperatives of equilibrium, compatibility and Hooke’s law are presented for deriving the final governing equations of deformation for circular and rectangular plates undergoing small displacements—a fraction of the thickness of shell. The distinction between bending and stretching responses of the shell is tackled through the membrane hypothesis and extended, first, to axisymmetrical pipe problems, and then to panel buckling under end-wise compression, which introduces geometrically non-linear behaviour. This is extended in cases of more compliant shells where displacements are expected to be much larger—of the order of the thickness, requiring more elaborate analysis techniques for tractable solutions: two approaches are presented, including an introduction of inextensibility theory. Finally, the behaviour and analysis of multistable shells are introduced: these show dramatic shape-changing properties, which may be exploited in novel “morphing” structures.

Geometry and kinematics of surfaces (4L)

• Properties of curves and surfaces: curvature and twist.
• Mohr’s circle of curvature and twist.
• Kinematics of surfaces of revolution and circular plates.
• Gaussian curvature: extrinsic and intrinsic viewpoints, principal radii of curvature.
• Inextensibility of creased sheets: simple surface strain, Gauss’ Theorema Egregium.
• Mixed/hierarchical kinematics: corrugated and compliant shells.

Materials (2L)

• Traditional engineering materials: metals, composites and natural materials, methods of manufacture, applications.
• Constitutive laws: bending and stretching generalised Hooke’s laws, thermal effects.
• Bending and stretching strain energy densities.
• Advanced engineering materials: review of smart/actuating materials, applications.
• Natural shells: growth and bio-mimicry, constitutive laws.

Loading of shells: small displacement theories (3L)

• Bending of circular and rectangular plates: imperatives of equilibrium, Hooke’s Law, and compatibility.
• Surfaces of revolution: membrane hypothesis and bending-stretching interaction in pipes.
• Two-surface idealisation and panel buckling.

Loading of shells: large displacement theories (3L)

• Non-linear methods: solutions by inspection and substitution; the lenticular plate.
• Inextensibility Theory.

Unloaded shells: multistability (2L)

• Applications.
• Analytical modelling: effects of material constitution, pre-stress, actuation and shape.

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

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Last modified: 11/06/2025 17:44

Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• Recognise the unsustainable feature of current water engineering practice
• Understand the impacts of climate change on water resources, and approaches to adapt
• The ability to evaluate recent practices and developments in managing all aspects of the water cycle, with an emphasis on developing countries

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• Understand the limitations of conventional /traditional water supply and wastewater engineering systems in a sustainability context.
• Appreciate the key features of managing the water cycle in a sustainable manner and the need to meet a variety of resilience criteria.
• Recognise and critically assess the problems and solutions associated with managing water engineering projects in developing countries
• Be familiar with key aspects of water management in an international development context
• Recognise global issues in relation to the equitable management, distribution and disposal of water under growing environmental, social and political constraints.

Content

Leonardo Da Vinci remarked that ‘Water … is the cause of life or death, of increase or privation, nourishes at times and at others does the contrary …’. Today, water is at the centre of the sustainable development and climate action agendas. The most serious and high-profile impacts of climate change are being felt through water: floods, droughts, melting of ice and reduced snow cover, amongst others. Water is also a major sustainable development challenge: worldwide, 844 million people lack access to drinking water, and 2.3 billion do not have access to latrines or other basic sanitation facilities, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. High-income countries are also faced with water-related policy and engineering dilemmas. In the UK, the water sector is facing a major governance and investment crisis, and in the US, millions of people are drinking potentially unsafe tap water.

The module explores established and emerging practices for managing water under climate change. The module introduces key water issues around the world, including access to water supply and sanitation, flood and drought risk management, irrigation water service provision, and freshwater ecosystem degradation. Established and emerging engineering and policy practices for addressing these issues under climate change will be reviewed, including risk-based water resources planning, water allocation reform, and nature-based solutions. The interdependencies between water and other critical resources and sectors will be explored, with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and food security. The module features discussions of present-day applications, with a focus on case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and guest speakers from industry and policy.

Why Plan and Manage Water?

Climate change expresses itself through water. Nine out of ten ‘natural’ disasters are water-related. Water-related climate risks cascade through food, energy, urban and environmental systems. If we are to achieve climate and development goals, water must be at the core of adaptation strategies and development policy. This lecture describes some of the challenges and opportunities related to water, with examples from around the world. Problems of water management include too much, too little, too polluted, or too expensive water. The lecture also provides an overview of global progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 6 on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Approaches for Water Resources Planning and Management

Water resources planning and management activities are usually motivated by the realization that there are problems to solve and/or opportunities to obtain increased benefits by changing the management and use of water and related resources. This lecture presents water planning and management approaches, focusing on their technical, financial and economic, institutional and governance aspects. The different paradigms of water resources planning and management are discussed, including top-down planning, bottom-up planning, and Integrated Water Resources Management. The lecture evaluates the engineering paradigms and tools typically used to support planning and management and identifies the potential to update them in light of sustainable development and climate goals. The approaches and framework discussed in this lecture will serve the basis for the sub-sector deep-dives in the following lectures.

Are we going to run out of water?

Households, farms, factories, and ecosystems around the world are being forced to live with less water. Water crises are now amongst the top global risks, and many cities are already facing water shortages. This lecture unpacks the concept of water scarcity to explore its multiple dimensions and map its consequences at global and local levels. What are the main sources of water? And how do societies use it – and value it? Will we run out of water? Taking the world’s most water scarce region (Middle East and North Africa) as a case study, the lecture responds to these questions and evaluates alternative responses to water scarcity, with a focus on engineering options that manufacture new water through wastewater reuse and desalination.

Can clean energy help ease the water crisis?

How does the energy sector use water? What are the potential impacts of energy system transformation on water supplies? And how much energy does the water sector utilize? This lecture explores the ‘nexus’ between energy and water, examining both water for energy and energy for water, and presenting options for integrated energy and water systems planning. Taking the case study of a water utility in Brazil, the lecture discusses pathways to reduce energy consumption in the water sector.

Can we grow more food with less water?

Sustainable food production will not happen if water is not managed properly. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, and remains a major source of water pollution. Against this backdrop, engineers and policy-makers around the world often promote investments to grow more ‘crop per drop’, that is, more food with less water. This lecture explores the opportunities of growing more food with less water, and reveals some of the linkages between food and water policy that engineers need to be aware of when seeking to maximize efficiency in the water sector. Taking the case study of solar-power irrigation systems in India, the lecture discusses the complexities of integrated water-food-energy policy.

Working with nature: can ecosystems-based approaches help achieve water security?

Engineers around the world increasingly work with natural processes to reduce the impacts of floods and droughts, or to improve water quality. This lecture describes multiple types of nature-based solutions, and their benefits in terms of water-related outcomes and broader environmental outcomes. Taking the case study of natural flood management in the UK, the lecture discusses the approaches for working with nature to improve water security.

Sharing water, sharing problems?

As water scarcity increases around the world, the spectre of ‘water wars’ is often evoked by the media and by politicians. While water is indeed a source of tension between and within countries, it is very rarely a direct cause of war or conflict. This lecture reviews the complexities of managing water across boundaries and explores the evidence that helps dispel the myths of water wars. Two case studies from river basins in Africa showcase the potential for water engineering to contribute to cooperative transboundary water management.

Putting it all together: project planning for climate adaptation in the water sector

The course introduced some of the water-related challenges and opportunities encountered around the world, and the tools that are being used to address them.  The final lecture combines messages from the previous lectures to draw some general lessons on good practices for climate adaptation in the water sector. The concepts of robustness and adaptive planning are introduced, and a framework for analysis and implementation of projects is evaluated with examples from projects from different parts of the world.

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

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Last modified: 06/06/2025 12:38