Master's track Collaborative Innovation and Marketing

For high-tech companies, having a well-defined strategy to develop and launch innovative products and services is of key importance. Specifically, in today’s dynamic markets, collaboration with users, customers, suppliers, governments, universities and even competitors is a must to innovate successfully and create a value proposition that differs from the competition. In Innovation Management’s Collaborative Innovation & Marketing track, students gain a deep understanding of the strategic and operational decisions involved when managing an ecosystem of stakeholders in order to realize innovations that provide maximum customer value and move to sustainable solutions. This focus is unique as no other master’s program in the Netherlands highlights the intersection between marketing and innovation so elaborately.

What will you learn in the Collaborative Innovation & Marketing track?

Managing and leveraging an ecosystem of stakeholders is a complex yet intriguing challenge. Customer needs, competitor offerings, business partner knowledge, supplier constraints, societal movements and governmental policies to operate more sustainably all influence the innovation process. The Collaborative Innovation & Marketing track shows how companies can be more successful in creating and commercializing new products and services through active coordination of the value chain and supply chain. The track covers both radical and incremental innovation in business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets. Special attention is paid to the transition of firms from creating and selling products to service solutions (servitization), as this is a way to be more sustainable and, at the same time, create more immersive customer experiences. 

After completing the track, students will be familiar with state-of-the-art concepts and tools for how companies can involve individuals and organizations in developing and launching innovative products and service solutions. They thus know how companies can analyze, manage and integrate (potentially conflicting) interests and needs of stakeholders in innovation processes. Finally, they are experts in strategies, such as open innovation and servitization, that help companies move towards innovation that is both sustainable and successful on the market.

When to choose the track Collaborative Innovation & Marketing?

The Collaborative Innovation & Marketing track is particularly valuable for students interested in developing greater knowledge in innovation strategy, high-tech marketing, open innovation, customer experience and servitization. The track caters to students interested in higher-level managerial strategies and the associated operational decisions in these domains. With regard to competencies, students should have (or be aspiring to develop) skills such as systematic and analytical thinking, conceptual modeling and quantitative research skills. Students should be familiar with the fundamentals of marketing, organization science and statistics. Otherwise, students should compensate with self-study.

How will you learn?

TU/e is located in Brainport – Europe’s most innovative technology region – and therefore presents opportunities for students to get firsthand insights from regional technology commercialization experts via challenges, site visits and guest lectures. To ensure that students feel supported throughout their master’s program and make well-informed decisions, Innovation Management also makes use of a mentor system. An experienced lecturer and researcher will guide you in making choices on elective courses, studying abroad and the graduation project. This region, program and mentoring system enable students to tailor their education to their skills and interests with a view to their long-term future.