‘Graduates of Our Programme Will Not Only Manage Innovative Development, but Also Create New Businesses’
HSE University’s Online Campus presents a new programme titled ‘Innovative Business Management’. The online master’s programme trains economics leaders of the future—creators and managers of businesses based on innovation and the latest scientific and technical achievements. The programme synthesises entrepreneurial and managerial competencies and is taught by leading experts, owners, and managers of innovative companies.
The programme is Russian-taught, with some courses offered in English.
Andrey Tsymbal, the programme's academic supervisor at the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, explains how the programme helps students avoid management mistakes made by founders of fast-growing companies and not be among the 90% of startup founders who lose their business during take-off.
Andrey Tsymbal
— Let’s begin with the basics: how is innovative business interpreted in the professional community?
— First of all, it lies in two planes: either it is a business using modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence, or the business itself is a provider of innovative goods or services, such as the release of new high-tech products.
— What evolution has innovative business gone through in Russia?
— In some sense, innovative business has always existed in all countries. For example, a simple car was once an innovation. But if we are speaking about modern, post-Soviet Russia, of course, we can observe some clear stages of development. In the 90s, the so-called ‘brain drain’ and decline in science harmed innovative development in general because scientific research is largely the raw material for innovation. In the 2000s, the economy began to grow and many private investors and venture funds appeared, but the national ecosystem had not yet been fully launched. In the late 2000s–early 2010s, all the significant development institutions and special organisations were created, which helped innovative businesses at the start (Russian Venture Company, Skolkovo, special economic zones, etc).
Yes, not all innovators and entrepreneurs benefited from support measures, but in general, it helped develop the innovation ecosystem in the country, establish strong international contacts, and attract investment.
— How high is the level of innovation activity in Russia?
— According to HSE University’s Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK), it reached 42.7% in high-tech industries at the end of 2022, which is more than twice the average for manufacturing industries (20.7%) and almost three times the average for industrial production in general (15.6%). The highest number of innovative activities is carried out by aircraft and spacecraft manufacturers (51.1%) and computer, electronic, and optical product manufacturers (48.4%). We see more and more specifically innovative companies based on projects related to high technology and IT.
— Is there systemic training for innovative business managers in Russia?
— Today, many people want to launch their own startup. It has not just become fashionable, but has entered our cultural code—at least among the younger generations. And those starting from scratch have a lot of opportunities for this: incubators, accelerators, competitions, grants, etc. But how to competently manage a startup so as not to unexpectedly lose your business on take-off, how to develop it, scale it further, and turn a ‘garage startup’ into a sustainable, fast-growing innovative business—no one systemically teaches this now.
As a rule, startup founders and managers learn from their own, sometimes irreversible, mistakes. And, according to statistics, 90% of startups, having successfully entered the market, quickly disappear: they close down, go out of business, the founders fall out with each other, they lose investors, etc. This is partly due to the specifics of innovative business and its risks. Therefore, our programme is precisely aimed at training entrepreneurs and managers who must be able to scale and maintain the high rates of development for such businesses. Given the new technological challenges facing the Russian economy, the need for such competencies and experience becomes critical.
— What management challenges do startup founders usually face?
— On the one hand, when immersing themselves in their startup, an aspiring entrepreneur often suddenly finds themselves in the position of CEO or CTO of their own company and, not understanding a thing about what to do with all this now and what to do next, begins to make one management mistake after another. On the other hand, an experienced manager of, say, a manufacturing company at some point realises that the business no longer leads the market, competitors are surpassing them, and at such a pace that in the current management model, with the existing product line, it is impossible to keep up with them. One must either change or close down. And if one decides to change, then how can it be done?
Both need the same knowledge, approaches, competencies, and tools, but take into account the specifics of the different stages of their professional activity. But the most important thing that they need is to be able to see the bigger picture, to be able to work with the future so that it works for and not against them, to define strategic goals and build a flexible route to achieve them, while competently motivating the team and staff and building a stable system of relationships with their consumers, customers, partners, and the team.
— How is your programme built?
— The programme concept is based on a synthesis of innovative, entrepreneurial, and managerial approaches, methods, and competencies that any successful manager of a modern company—especially the founder of an innovative business—should have. In addition to managing the innovative development of an already established organisation, graduates of our programme will also be able to create new businesses and individual products from scratch, as well as proactively develop existing businesses ahead of the market.
The programme design is unique in the way that it combines the two largest blocks, which until now were taught separately:
a business accelerator in the first year of study (from creating a business/product from scratch to supporting its entry into the market)
an MBA-level programme in the second year (development of management competencies)
— How is practice structured in the programme? What industry partners do you work with?
— Practice is at the centre of the programme. It is accompanied and supported by systemic theoretical knowledge and current market examples and tools. In the first year, students work in teams and go from the idea of an innovative business/product to its introduction to the market. Each team is accompanied by an experienced business tracker from among the school’s practicing teachers and experts. As course work, students defend the business model of an innovative company.
In the second year of study, work in teams continues but the tasks are taken from the next level—developing and scaling an innovative business. The case study method is widely used here to develop management competencies. Students’ final qualifying work (thesis) is a defence of a real business project or business case developed during their master’s degree studies.
During their studies, students will have meetings and master classes with owners and managers of innovative companies, development institutions, and industry and technology experts; they will work on the tasks they face and study their business models and cases.
The school has been cooperating for many years with the largest brands and corporations (Sberbank, Russian Railways, Rostec, Aeroflot, United Engine Corporation, Alrosa, etc), fast-growing innovative companies (Ozon, VkusVill, Yandex, Wildberries, etc), expert institutes and associations (Club of Directors for Science and Innovation, Russian Venture Company, Skolkovo, National Institute of Certified Management Consultants, etc.), and also has extensive connections in the business and innovation community.
— What kind of career do programme graduates build?
— The prospects here vary a lot, but they are all driven by the unique added value of a graduate of the HSE School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship programme, which we create during training using a whole range of our own approaches, methods, professionals, and talents.
Graduates and first-year students alike are in high demand in the market
Many students experience a real career reboot before their studies are even over, growing at an incredible pace in their own company, joining new projects, and changing jobs to more responsible and highly paid ones. Some start their own business and, as far as we know, succeed in it. We have no doubt that a similar career reboot awaits students of our new programme, especially since we regularly receive vacancies and requests from our partners, alumni, and even teachers.
The market is suffering from a great shortage of personnel with entrepreneurial competencies—people who understand both management and technology, can think strategically, and own the full arsenal of innovator tools. Such specialists find themselves in various industries, from medicine to IT. As a rule, the choice of field is determined by the first higher education and previous work experience, while the competencies acquired in the programme provide an opportunity to reach a new career level, capitalise on one’s experience, knowledge, and ideas in one’s own business, and achieve ambitious goals in professional and personal development.
Visit the online Open Day on January 31, at 6 pm (Moscow time) (in Russian)