Innovation strategy: Top certificate programmes for professionals

Just about every business owner wants to grow their business and market share. Many might think that innovation strategy is about doing things differently than their competitors, but in reality, innovation strategy is so much more than that. 

An innovation strategy must address how innovation will create value for potential customers as well as the company to facilitate growth. For technology or services, could entail investing money in research and development activities.

With a pandemic on hand that has upended businesses, it’s essential for businesses to be nimble and learn to pivot in new, creative ways to ensure their survival. 

For professionals looking to learn the ropes of innovation strategy, many renowned universities offer a number of executive education and graduate certification programmes. While these do not culminate with a degree, they can still help busy professionals develop new skills in specific areas to stand out from the competition. Here are some worth considering: 

Innovation Strategy Certificate (Graduate) by Temple University 

Offered by Temple University’s Fox School of Business, this high-impact programme was designed to equip the next generation of leaders to make strategic decisions and succeed in a rapidly-evolving, competitive professional landscape. 

Participants will learn to overcome strategic and tactical challenges to design organisations that reward innovative thinking and embrace disruptive environments. Faculty and thought leaders who double as researchers and practitioners in the field take charge to ensure learners are equipped with industry insight upon completion. 

Driving Strategic Innovation by IMB

This management training programme is the product of a collaboration between IMB and MIT Sloan. It was designed to give professionals a fresh perspective on innovation and technology strategy – equipping them with the toolkit to create new, innovative business solutions.

Innovation Strategy Certificate Programme by eCornell

In this series of courses, participants will learn how to develop an innovation strategy that aligns with their organisation’s goals. Throughout, a series of activities allow the creation and iteration on various aspects of a successful strategy. These include identifying an executive champion and other supportive stakeholders as well as developing an overall vision, SMART goals, and budget. 

As they learn, participants will create a presentation document called the innovation placemat that will eventually be used to pitch to stakeholders in their own organisation to turn their innovation strategy into a reality.

Innovation and Strategy by Harvard Professional Development

This online programme facilitates the examination of frameworks that market-leading companies use to build innovation into their business approach. Group exercises and real-world examples are used to educate participants on driving innovation and developing winning strategies for their organisations. 

Tangible, practical content is emphasised throughout to enable professionals to immediately deploy effective methods in their workplaces after just four days of training.

Mastering Innovation: Strategy, Process, and Tools by Wharton University

This online, executive education programme provides professionals with the frameworks, tools, methodologies, and disciplines to develop and install a process for innovation. 

Upon completion, those who select this route will be able to deploy the resources and principles to effectively recognise, evaluate and validate new opportunities.

Additionally, professionals will be able to create a corporate culture that fosters ongoing, company-wide creativity; successfully invest for future growth while managing the risks of disruption; and utilise design thinking and lean validation methods to hasten your response to opportunities – amongst much more.