Work in Progress: Innovation and Technology Management Key Topics for Engineering Graduate Education

Many developed countries are knowledge-based societies where technological Innovation is one of the main drivers of economic development. Education in Science, Technology, and Engineering contributes to creating an innovation culture. In developing countries, there is an educational gap between innovation and technology development and engineering education because of their high technology dependence and the orientation of engineering education to the support of manufacturing systems. This study identifies key innovation and technology management aspects that should be considered as study topics in engineering programs. These aspects, along with conventional engineering management skills, such as project development and management, entrepreneurship, and financial analysis, are proposed to be incorporated into a two-core course named “Innovation and Technology Management” and “Technology Development.” The identified key aspects and course topics are intended for master's and doctoral engineering programs, but they may also be considered for undergraduate engineering programs in all disciplines.