This course first explains the fundamentals of innovation such as the definition of innovation, its typology, and its necessity for business. Students will understand that innovation is not an event but a process that is accomplished only when the market accepts it. Students also understand the sequential steps of innovation process, and how to manage its steps to increase the success probability of innovation. In addition, cases will be exploited to explain how innovation diffuses and evolves.

The course also offers useful analytical frameworks that examine both technology seeds such as the findings of innovation, its applicability as well as market needs which include market future trends.

This course discusses the overall operation of corporate activities such as product development, production planning, material procurement, workflow control from the perspective of project management and logistics management. In product development, a great deal of time and investment as well as a development plan (development target) which focuses on future market trends are vital. In addition, the course will explain thoughts and methods for SCM (Supply Chain Management) because it is related to manufacture management for mass production, material procurement, inventory control, quality control, logistics, securing of profit as well as the commercialization plan which is based on market trends and road map of technology. Lectures will use examples in designing and manufacturing of automotive parts and other products to deepen the understanding of students through discussions and exercises. Students will also understand the role and positioning of the project management in production control and SCM.

This course covers legal contents involving corporate business both locally and internationally, such as civil law, commercial law, antitrust law, consumer law, intellectual property law, import and export trade administration laws, related codes of legal procedure and international rules of proper law. The lectures go beyond mere understanding of law interpretation. This course aims to help students to obtain necessary practical ability of legal contract negotiation, contract document preparation, information analysis of intellectual property right, effective registration/protection of intellectual property right, interpretation of the scope of intellectual property right, litigation strategy and strategic utilization of the intellectual property. The advancement of technology and globalization of corporate activity causes technology development conducted in-house to become impossible in many cases. This demands the capability to carry out business strategy and intellectual property strategy while acquiring and exploiting advantageous licenses promptly at all aspects of intellectual property. Therefore, the second half of this course focuses on the fundamental knowledge of business laws and building the practical ability, through a problem-solving format. The course content will be divided into the three following parts: i) "Intellectual property created in the process of development and manufacturing of products", ii) "Intellectual property formulated from business credit", and iii) "Intellectual property involved in creative thoughts or feelings".

This course helps students understand the fundamentals of corporate accounting and the nature and contents of the main financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement) and gain basic practical financial analysis skills within a short time. Students first study the relations among these financial statements in Excel spreadsheets. They then learn how to analyze and interpret financial statements including profitability, growth and liquidity analysis. The course also provides the basic knowledge on investment principles and measures (return on investment, net present value, internal rate of return, payback period). In addition, they briefly learn the microeconomic framework which is required for business person. Topics include price mechanism and firm/consumer behavior.

"New product development is more than just making products that work." (T. Curtis)

Firstly, the students in this course learn the following basic knowledge that engineers and scientists need to know: definition of marketing, finding a market opportunity by an environmental analysis, segmentation, targeting, and marketing tools such as product, price, place, and promotion policies.

Secondly, the students learn the knowledge and skills related to the process of new product development where the engineers and scientists are deeply involved in: clarifying a customer's problem, concept design as interim solution for the customer's problem, project design and detail design based on the concept design, manufacturing and tests, etc.

In order to understand the process of marketing and new product development deeply, in parallel with lectures, each student draws up a product plan based on acquired knowledge and skills, and original ideas.

The objective of this course is to study management strategy basics which provide students background knowledge including technical business strategy terms, business analysis techniques and strategic planning framework for learning management of technology effectively. This course also refers to a wide range of business functions (e.g. business administration, marketing and finance), as implementation measures of management strategy, which are subordinated to corporate strategy. Students learn interrelationship and consistency among them so that they can study other courses efficiently and effectively.

The purpose of this course is to study a framework for managing technological innovation strategically. To predict future business environment with uncertainty is difficult. However, prediction of future business environment is required to drive innovative activities. The lecture focuses on frameworks to overcome this difficulty, especially scenario planning method. Therefore, students first learn fundamentals about scenario planning method. Then, the lecture explains the differences between science and technology, their relationship as well as their future evolution trends. Furthermore, students will understand technology strategy formation and implementation including roles of technology as a driver to carry out corporate strategy and/or R&D strategy that is resulted from the integration and interaction between corporate strategy and technology strategy.

The objective of this course is to study strategy formation and its implementation for effective open innovation. Recent weak performances of many Japanese manufacturing firms which adhere to traditional closed innovation apparently raise doubts on the effectiveness of this traditional innovation mode in the rapidly changing globalized business field. Firms should strategically examine how to construct relationship with other entities in broad business ecosystem and consequently achieve innovation for sustainable growth, as businesses get increasingly open. We study contemporary open innovation in comparison with traditional innovation mode as well as organizational structure and capabilities which are suitable for open business activities. We also investigate national/regional policies aiming to foster open innovation and their impact on firms' activities in some of leading countries. We then discuss major topics in terms open innovation implementation such as R&D outsourcing, open IP and VC utilization.

R&D management is defined as a combination of the tasks of innovative management and technology management. It includes various kinds of activities such as basic and fundamental research, technology development, concept development, new product development, process development, portfolio management, and IP management. In this course, the comprehensive role of research, development, science, technology and engineering is described based on the type of research activities undertaken in different organization. In addition, R&D categorizations such as project planning, budgeting and road-mapping under a global context are discussed. Moreover, we discuss the functions of R&D, development activities and the role in management, including innovation- and portfolio-management, IP strategy and new product development. We offer a wide range of operational definitions of R&D and development phases of R&D management. Some cases are disclosed under the state-of-the-art semiconductor industry.

In order to understand consumers' (or customers') needs and develop an effective marketing strategy, marketing research is indispensable. An accurate insight based on information and data becomes a great force for the problem solution in business strategy, i.e., in finding business opportunities and making an efficient marketing plan. This course aims to understand the importance of marketing research and learn about how to apply it to practical situation. To execute appropriate decision making as a leader or a manager, you learn the entire systematic process of marketing research: Data Identification, Data Collection, Data Analysis, and Information Use, where clarifying marketing problems is the most important. For deeper understanding, this course deals with marketing research from the perspectives of both the research process and the research methods. In particular, research methods mainly consist of statistical methods, and partially include machine-learning methods. Therefore, we learn about basic statistics in the early stage of this class. In addition, this class includes some exercises based on several concrete cases.

In this subject, students learn basic knowledge about venture business, start-up aiming at rapid growth, and gain business planning and financing skills which are indispensable for entrepreneurs. About venturing, they examine not only successful oversea cases itself but also social mechanism that fosters venturing, as observed in Silicon Valley. About financing, they learn how to exploit public aid, subsidy system, venture capital financing, and incubation fund as means of direct finance as well as examine exit strategy for venture businesses including IPO and M&A. They also study significance of indirect (debt) financing. Case study and discussion are extensively harnessed for enhancing their understanding of venture business.

The purpose of this course is to study fundamentals of managerial finance/accounting which underpin persuasive business planning and efficient investment decision making process in the context of value maximization. We first examine premise, assumptions and logic for setting value maximization as the one and only objective in corporate finance with reference to corporate governance. We then study investment decision rule with emphasis on its critical constituents, namely 1) hurdle rate estimation, 2) return metric selection and 3) project definition and cash flow projection. With regard to 1), we develop it mainly based on CAPM in conjunction with understanding risk-return relationship and portfolio effect. With regard to 2), we review calculation procedure and compare advantages/drawbacks of most typical metric such as ROI, NPV and IRR. With regard to 3), we examine side-effects (e.g. opportunity cost and synergy effect) and relationship with other projects for characterizing a project appropriately. We also develop sophisticated simulation-based investment analysis capitalizing on managerial accounting knowledge.

This course focuses on the strategic thinking about problem solving, decision-making, and related strategic management. In general, tackling business issues requires a thinking process, that is, to grasp the essence of the issues and make appropriate decisions. In fact, when we are faced with business issues, subconsciously we tend to solve them with our own experience. However, relying on experience alone, without the "know-how" of problem solving and decision making, has its limitations. Through examining various case studies, the course will systematize lessons from the success and failure of cases as well as summarize theories on strategic thinking and decision-making. It will also touch on strategy analysis, strategic management, thoughts about risk and some related game theories.

TRIZ (the theory of inventive problem solving) has an inductive theoretical system for inventive problem solving such as technology forecasting based on patent analysis, trend analysis on advancement, a matrix of contradictions, a proposal for solutions and so on. In this lecture, first, you will learn the theoretical framework of TRIZ, its methodology, and the underlying concept to improve the ability to identify, analyze and solve problems, and to develop creative products as well as to enhance inventive faculty significantly.

Secondly, in order to improve the capacity for business feasibility assessment of technology and decision on R&D investment, you will gain an understanding of the theory and methodology on invention and evaluation of the concept, adding value to patents, strategic and systematic expansion of intellectual property. Then, we will have group discussions on creativity based on a specific case.

Finally, in order to acquire the capacity to capitalize intellectual property on your own following the creation of ideas, we will conduct practical problem solving exercises using advanced software that guide strategic creation of intellectual property by linking the patent database of major developed countries with TRIZ.

This course discusses management organization. An organization like a business corporation has a hierarchical structure where ranked relationship exists among the powers, and among members.

Moreover, communication also takes place in the hierarchical organization, for example, the bottom-up process of obtaining authorization from senior executives for a plan by circulating a draft proposal prepared lower down in the organization.

An organization equipped with a hierarchical structure is generally called a formal organization that can be divided into three types: functional organization, divisional organization, and matrix organization.

There is also an informal organization that co-exists with formal organization. Informal organization is established by spontaneous individual connections, for example, between members that join the company at the same year, or those coming from same hometown. This informal organization affects the information transmission and communications throughout the organization. It should be noted that information exchange takes place within the corporation where both formal and informal organizations co-exist.

This course provides students the knowledge of organization design, organization structure, as well as features of each organization structure from the viewpoints of management and management organization theory. Through learning these organizational frameworks, students will understand how an organization should be designed.

The goals of this course are i) to understand the basics of management organization theories and acquire the way of thinking in this field, and ii) to be able to reorganize and systematize actual corporate management.

"What is excellent leadership?" has been questioned from a distant past, long before business administration research had emerged. It has attracted researchers in various fields of philosophy, ethics, history, religion, politics, and military affairs, etc. In this course, leadership is defined as "the abilities to set goal of a team and draw the team member's cooperation and contribution to achieve the goal effectively." Leadership researches in business administration are roughly classified into four schools; 1. Trait Theory, 2. Behavioral Theory, 3. Contingency Theory, 4. Transformational Leadership. Leaders are expected to fulfill various tasks such as defining and solving problem; evaluating, and motivating subordinates, and energizing organization. However, leadership roles vary with times and circumstances. This course does not rely on one single theory, but encourages students to exploit the theories effectively depending on situations.

This course focuses on the comparison of intellectual property systems between countries, particularly patent laws, in order to create global strategies of acquisition of intellectual property rights.

Historically, international intellectual property law is the convergence of fundamental legal systems and law concepts that have been achieved through the inter-institutional integrity and gradual adjustments based on the Treaty of Paris, the search for a unified system with the promotion from WIPO, as well as the unification of fundamental law concepts between individual regions, such as those found in Southeast Asia. Practically, the unification between legal systems regarding intellectual property has been realized through the sharing of international application system and information of preliminary investigations on patents in major countries.

Accordingly, besides comparing the differences of legal systems between countries from the aspect of the substantive law, it is necessary to understand the substantial influences of individual country's code of legal procedure on its own' s intellectual property rights protection. Hence, a comparison will be conducted mainly between the generally known tri-polar patent systems of Japan/US/EU and the legal system of Southeast Asia.

In addition, to acquire the knowledge and skills that are necessary for international strategy intellectual property, this course covers not only law procedures regarding acquisition of intellectual property rights in major countries, but also includes litigation practice in each country as well as international litigation that includes the offense and defense of jurisdiction.

Furthermore, the lectures also explain intellectual property strategy with reference to technology standardization, designs and trademarks.

The information of intellectual property (for example, Official Gazette) is not a mere document of intellectual property right. There is a variety of disclosed information such as information about basic technology, leading researchers in charge of technology development, development termination/ technology failure and new product development, etc. On the other hand, the peculiar format of documents characterizing the information, particularly the huge amount of information, hinders the use of intellectual property information.

The course's aim is to acquire the skills that are important for building intellectual property strategy, that is, understanding the features of domestic and international intellectual property information as well as being able to retrieve online information and then analyze obtained information at a required level. Through learning how to search and arrange intellectual property information, students will apply these skills to i) analyze intellectual property strategy of some selected global manufacturing companies and ii) build intellectual property strategy for a virtual or specified company.

In this course, intellectual property information mainly will refer to invention, design, and trademark. Other types of intellectual property information such as domain name, copyright (particularly, programs and database), etc. will also be explained when required.

The course discusses practical strategies to leverage industrial property (patents, utility models, trademarks, and design) as a source of differentiation and competitiveness in business. In particular, it focuses on the utilization of the patent map, intellectual property in relation to R&D process, patent clearance, the substantial prolongation of the basic patent, patent application with relation to know-how protection, know-how management, licensing strategy, intellectual property strategy in relation to technology standard, intellectual property strategy in relation to antitrust law and business strategy relating to technology tie-up and technology adoption.

This course will introduce concrete business cases about integrating R&D strategy, intellectual property strategy and business strategy; sales promotion of patents; enterprise strategy of utilizing university in developing new business; intellectual property strategy in relation to open innovation; international patent infringement litigations; international designs/trademark infringement lawsuits, etc. It should be noted that issues of copyrighted materials will be discussed together with patent strategy in mind, if there exist programs, database, or contents that accompany technology development.

The purpose of this course is to study the development of "green" businesses and technologies, which contribute to establish a clean, energy-efficient, and sustainable society.
We first analyze the situation of domestic and international energy and environmental policies with reference to official documents such as the Annual Report on the Environment, World Energy Outlook, etc. because these policies strongly affect the development of the green businesses and technologies. We search promising green businesses and technologies through this analysis.
Second, we examine the promising businesses and technologies (e.g. energy-saving technology, new energy resources, and green materials) from many angles. Each student will examine documents related to a particular green business or technology and reports on the actual state, problems, and outlook of the green business or technology from the viewpoints of engineering, policy, legal system, market, etc. Through reports and discussions, the students share knowledge.

This course focuses on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology-based industry. In this kind of industry, companies directly conduct fundamental research, where their business is inevitably linked to science. Therefore, it brings high uncertainty to their business, which is called a "high risk, high return" business. The existing business models, approaches, and systems cannot fully handle problems that are specific to such a high-risk-high-return business. In fact, a new combination of innovations is needed in such a situation. The course aims to explore the favorable relationships between innovations of technology and innovations of the business style in such an industry, while being based on the actual company cases. Concretely, you do the following: (1) learn about the R&D processes of progressive pharmaceutical companies and the effects of biotechnology in post-genome era on the companies, (2) understand the important features of business tied directly to science: i.e., the uncertain, complex, interdisciplinary, and fast-changing, (3) think about the difficulties that pharmaceutical and biotechnology-based companies should solve, and (4) discuss the appropriate business strategy and business model, while verifying the actual company cases.

With the progressive improvement of ICT, manufacturing business management has been largely dependent on the ability to utilize digital engineering (DE). In the light of this, first and foremost, this course will clarify the issues of the traditional DE by discussing and organizing the following topics from both engineering and management perspectives. 1) How the various systems supplied to support DE are utilized in not only product planning, development and manufacturing but also the whole product lifecycle such as logistics, sales, procurement, maintenance, repair, collection and disposal. 2) How these systems contribute to the management, and what their limits and challenges are.
Next, you will learn the reasoning behind Analysis-Led Design (ALD) that fully utilizes QFD, TRIZ and CAE during the early stage of designing such as in the conceptual design phase. Then, you will deepen your understanding on why ALD is exceptionally efficient in producing innovative products effectively.
Finally, using a case study of a company which carries out advanced manufacturing utilizing ALD, we will discuss how human resource development for the advancement of DE to ALD, technological development, organizational reform and infrastructure development should be.

The student chooses a research theme which is assumedly related to his or her future career path, and advances the research on his or her own initiative. Academic supervisors, through discussion, will instruct the student in the methods and contents of the research. Research results shall be submitted and presented to a board of supervisors for evaluation.