Continuing education certified innovation manager

You’ll learn how to manage innovation as a controllable process, from the search for ideas through evaluation and concept development to market launch. This includes creativity techniques, evaluation methods, design thinking, business model development, innovation management, and change management. The use of AI in the innovation process is also covered.

Over the course of five days, you will apply these methods to specific problems. Upon passing the exam, you will receive a certificate from the German Association for Business Management ( Haufe Akademie ) and the University of Applied Sciences for Management (HdWM) in Mannheim.

Yes. Communication plays a key role in determining whether an innovation is understood and accepted. The sales team is often the first to hear about customer problems and brings new products to market. By using innovation management methods, you can incorporate these perspectives into innovation projects rather than just being informed at the very end.

Operational innovation improves what already exists—such as a new feature or a more efficient process. Strategic innovation opens up new markets, customer segments, or business models, thereby changing the company’s direction. Both require different budgets, time frames, and success criteria. Evaluating them by the same standards usually slows down strategic projects.

In this course, you'll learn to distinguish between different types of innovation and define areas of focus so that your projects get off to a strong start.

Common obstacles include fear of making mistakes, time pressure in day-to-day operations, a lack of budget for experimentation, siloed thinking between departments, and decision-making processes in which new ideas are weeded out early on. Solutions include, for example, safe spaces for experimentation, clear criteria for evaluating ideas, and leaders who treat failure as a learning opportunity.

In this course, you'll analyze which of these barriers are at play in your company and develop strategies to break them down.

Different techniques are appropriate depending on the task:

• Brainwriting: when a group needs to generate many ideas without the loudest voices dominating the discussion

• Synectics: When You Want to Come Up with New Solutions Using Analogies from Other Fields

• Provocation Techniques When the Team Is Stuck in Rigid Ways of Thinking

• The Morphological Box and S.C.A.M.P.E.R., if you want to systematically vary or recombine existing solutions

During the course, you'll try out the techniques yourself and see which ones might work for your team. You'll also explore how AI can complement the ideation process.

Before evaluating, determine what matters—such as customer value, strategic fit, feasibility, and effort. For an initial rough selection, pairwise comparison or an attractiveness-risk matrix are suitable. For a detailed evaluation, use an evaluation form with weighted criteria. With the Six Thinking Hats® method, you examine an idea from different perspectives one after another.

In this course, you'll evaluate ideas using these methods and apply AI to make an initial assessment of their potential. This will show you how decisions become transparent.

Design Thinking is a method that consistently solves problems from the perspective of the " users ." It proceeds in phases: understanding and observing, defining the problem, developing ideas, building prototypes, and testing them with " users ." These cycles are repeated until the solution is right. This is particularly helpful for product management, sales, and R&D when it is unclear what " customers " actually need.

During the course, you'll go through the phases yourself. This will give you enough experience to launch Design Thinking in your own team.

A high-level concept outlines the target audience and value proposition, the business model (including revenue and costs), the necessary resources, the biggest risks, and the next steps. Validate your key assumptions early on using customers before investing any further. Also, determine which metrics you’ll use to measure progress.

In this course, you'll develop a rough concept like this and learn about innovation management using KPIs. This will enable you to prepare for an internal investment decision.

A culture of innovation is fostered by what is rewarded and permitted in everyday life. It helps to set aside time and budget for experiments, to highlight the successes that come from such experiments, to communicate openly about innovation projects, and to have leaders who ask questions rather than immediately judging ideas. Change is more successful when you shape it together with those involved rather than simply announcing it.

The final module of the course focuses on a culture of innovation and change management. You’ll explore how to guide change in your environment with empathy and clarity.

The course lasts five days. It is held in person or live online via Zoom. Course materials and meals are included for in-person sessions. The course concludes with a written online exam lasting approximately 60 minutes. You can find the current dates, locations, and prices on the seminar page.

Upon completion, you will receive the certificate “certified innovation manager ” from the “ Haufe Akademie ” and HdWM Mannheim, as well as an Open Badge. You can book a two-hour transfer coaching session with an expert at a discounted rate when you register for the course. For companies, the course is available as an in-house training program. To deepen your knowledge, we recommend the “Crash Course in Innovation Management” (1937) and “A Competitive Edge Through Creativity” (9131).