Technology and Innovation Management, MSc

Programme description

Technology and innovation management sits at the intersection of engineering, business, and society. At Chalmers, this means focusing on how organisations develop new technologies, manage innovation processes, and turn technical potential into meaningful impact and competitive advantage.

The programme combines analytical rigour with practical skills, giving you the tools to understand how technology, strategy, business models, and organisational decisions interact. You will explore how companies identify opportunities, develop new products and services, and bring them to use, under constantly shifting technological and market conditions.

The education begins with courses covering areas such as innovation and R&D management, strategy, analytics, as well as corporate and entrepreneurial finance. Together, these provide a broad foundation of how tech organisations operate and how to manage innovation effectively.

After the foundation semester, you will deepen your knowledge through one of four specialisations. Each specialisation consists of a coherent set of courses that provides advanced, research-informed knowledge within a selected area of technology and innovation management. Alongside the specialisation, you can tailor the programme through elective courses in innovation, management, business and organisation. You will also choose courses in technology and engineering, allowing you to maintain and further develop expertise in a technical domain of your choice.

The programme structure also supports international exchange through Chalmers’ global partnerships. A course in research methods prepares you for the final 30-credit master’s thesis, which is often conducted in collaboration with an industrial partner or as part of an active research project.

Project-based learning is a central part of the programme. You will work on challenges drawn from technology-intensive organisations and industrial settings, applying theoretical frameworks and analytical tools to real-world situations. Many projects are developed and carried out in collaboration with industrial and other external partners.

Throughout the programme, you will also examine the wider implications of technological and industrial development, including sustainability, business ethics, technology’s role in society, and processes of industrial transformation. This will help you assess technological and managerial decisions from economic, organisational, ethical, and societal perspectives.

The combination of technical depth and managerial competence prepares you to work across disciplinary boundaries, and communicate effectively with people from both technical and managerial backgrounds.

Job opportunities

After graduation, you will be well-prepared for roles at the intersection of technology, innovation, and business. Typical career paths include management consulting, strategy consulting, business and financial analysis, product management, technical purchasing and sales, business development, venture capital, and entrepreneurship.

The programme prepares you for work in technology-intensive environments where an understanding of both engineering and business is essential. Your expertise will be relevant across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, finance, consulting, and emerging technology-based industries.

The programme has been developed in dialogue with industry partners and alumni to ensure relevance to current and emerging needs. Graduates may work in major industrial and technology firms such as Volvo Group and Ericsson, management and strategy consultancies such as McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group, financial institutions and venture capital firms such as EQT and Norrsken, technology start-ups and scale-ups such as Einride and Stilta, or public organisations involved in innovation and industrial transformation. The broad curriculum provides a foundation for both specialist and leadership roles, and many graduates later move into senior positions in strategy, business development, product and technology management, finance, and general management. The programme also provides a strong foundation for doctoral studies and research careers in technology and innovation management and related fields.

Research

The wider research environment at the Department of Technology Management and Economics at Chalmers is always present throughout your studies. The teaching is guided by current research, and you will engage with this in lectures and project work, as well as in your master's thesis.

Key research areas include innovation management, intellectual property, sustainability transitions, industrial dynamics, and industrial networks. These areas directly shape the programme’s content, providing you with contemporary perspectives on technology management and innovation. You will often work alongside active researchers at the university, in seminars and projects.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in: Industrial Engineering and Management, Science, Engineering or Technology
Note: A Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or Economics does not fulfill the requirement.

Prerequisites: Mathematics (at least 24 cr. including Mathematical Statistics (at least 6 cr.)), at least 15 cr. in one or several of the following subjects: Organisation theory, Project Management, Management, Innovation Management, Business Administration and/or Economics, History of Technology

English language requirements: Prove your English proficiency

How to apply