E/SEC 103, Spring 2020

Management of Technology
Instructors Richard Murray (CDS/BE), murray@cds.caltech.edu Ken Pickar (EAS), kpickar@caltech.edu Lectures: MW 1:30-3 pm, online	Teaching Assistants Betty Wang Office hours: TBD

This is the course homepage for E/SEC 103, Spring 2020. Course access:

• Lectures (Zoom): Mon/Wed, 1:30-3 pm. See Caltech Moodle for Zoom link (registered students only)
• Course materials (Google Drive): lecture slides, recorded class sessions, and other information (registered students only)
• Class discussion (Slack): calteeche103.slack.com (registered students only)

Catalog Description

This course is intended for students interested in learning how rapidly evolving technologies are harnessed to produce useful products or fertile new area for research. Students will work through Harvard Business School case studies, supplemented by lectures to elucidate the key issues. There will be a term project where students predict the future evolution of an exciting technology. The course is team-based and designed for students considering choosing an exciting research area, working in companies (any size, including start-ups) or eventually going to business school. Topics include technology as a growth agent, financial fundamentals, integration into other business processes, product development pipeline and portfolio management, learning curves, risk assessment, technology trend methodologies (scenarios, projections), motivation, rewards and recognition. Industries considered will include electronics (hardware and software), aerospace, medical, biotech, etc. Students will perform both primary and secondary research and through analysis present defensible projections.

Lecture Schedule

Date	Topic	Reading	Homework
30 Mar	Organizational session Course logistics Instructor introduction What this course is about
1 Apr	Organizational session What this course is about Initial project brainstorming

Course Text and References

1. [SMTI] Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation, 5th Edition, by Robert Burgelman, Clayton Christensen, Steven Wheelwright. McGraw-Hill, 2008.
2. [FMT] Forecasting and Management of Technology, 2nd Edition, by Alan L. Porter, Scott W. Cunningham, Jerry Banks, A. Thomas Roper, Thomas W. Mason, Frederick A. Rossini. Wiley, 2011.