Topic outline

  • General

    Course name: 37E44000 Critical Issues in Information Systems Research

    Course Theme in I period 2023: Topics in Scaling Technology Innovation Business

    Classroom:

    Monday 11.9 from 9:15 to 17 at L101 Väre

    Tuesday 12.9 from 10:15 to 17 at U121a Otakaari

    Thursday 5.10 from 9:15 to 14 at Q102 Väre

    Final Deliverable Thursday 12.10 by email to matti.rossi@aalto.fi


    Course Description:

    In the landscape of tech companies, adaptability, innovation, and velocity aren't just valuable traits; they're the very heartbeat of success. This course aims at being somewhat different than just another academic endeavor; it's a more like a voyage through the kaleidoscopic realm of growing tech titans. Powered by stories from companies that have danced on the tightrope of exponential growth, the aim is to expose you to some of the very essence of their challenges and triumphs.

    You will do deep dives with hands-on mini-projects that unveil the different dimensions of expansion—from envisioning a global mission to navigating the intricate dance of geopolitics, from the art of talent attraction to crafting unassailable intellectual property strategies. But what is the true core of this course? Robust practices with battle-tested lessons, augmented by comprehensive case studies that you will champion.

     

    This course isn't your typical step-by-step manual to constructing a tech startup. Nor is it a mere collection of theoretical blueprints on startup dynamics or economics. What it promises, however, is far more invaluable. Drawing from real-world experience, this course also serves as the rich tapestry that weaves together some of the profound wisdom found in celebrated books. It offers a uniquely personal perspective, shining light on the often-overlooked nuances that truly define the journey of building a thriving technology enterprise. Delve deep and discover the critical insights that can mean the difference between mere existence and transformative execution excellence. Welcome to a deeper understanding of the scaling of technology innovation business!

    Course Organization:

    The course is organized in intensive period and group work. The first two intensive days are 11 and 12.9 and they run from 9 to 17. The final presentations are on October 5th and the length is dependent on the number of groups.

    Course level: This course is suitable for master’s and doctoral studies.

    Teachers:

    Henry Tirri is a Chief Technology Officer with over 25 years of experience in Public Technology and Communications companies across EMEA and the US. In addition to his technology innovation expertise, he has managed global P&Ls and driven growth, business disruption, operational excellence, and culture-led transformations to increase brand and shareholder value.

    Until his retirement in late 2022, Tirri served as CTO, Head of R&D and Executive Vice President at InterDigital, one of the world’s largest mobile and video technology research and development companies. He provided leadership in wireless, video, AI and emerging technologies for North America, Europe and Asia. Previously, Tirri led corporate technology strategy, partnerships and advanced R&D as Group CTO and Executive Director with Harman International.

    Before joining Harman, Tirri was CTO and Executive Vice President at Nokia, the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer at the time. A native of Finland, Tirri graduated from University of Helsinki in Finland with a PhD in Computer Science. His academic career includes being a tenured Professor of Computer Science (AI) at the University Helsinki and Stanford University, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering at University of California, Berkeley. He resides in New York and splits time across North America, Israel and Europe. He is married with 3 adult daughters and has deep interest in 18th and 19th century art, classical opera, history of humankind and space exploration.

    Matti Rossi is a professor of information systems at Aalto University School of Business. He is a past president of the Association for Information Systems and an AIS Fellow. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Business Administration from the University of Jyväskylä. He has worked as a visiting scholar at NYU Stern School of Business, a research fellow at Erasmus University Rotterdam, as a visiting assistant professor at Georgia State University, Atlanta and visiting researcher at Claremont Graduate University. His research papers have appeared in journals such as MIS Quarterly, Journal of AIS, Information and Organization, Information and Management, and Information Systems, IEEE Software, and over sixty of them have appeared in conferences such as ICIS, HICSS and CAiSE.

    He is the past editor in chief of Communications of the Association for Information Systems. He is currently senior editor for JIT and an editorial advisory board member for ISJ. He has been a senior editor at JAIS and Database for Advances in Information Systems and an associate editor for MIS Quarterly.

    He was a co-chair of DESRIST 2007, 2008 and 2014 and program co-chair of DESRIST 2013 and DESRIST 2020, program co-chair for ECIS 2011 and 2016, organizing chair for IRIS 2004, organizing committee member and technology chair for ICIS’98 and minitrack chair for Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences 98 - 21.

    He has been involved in the development of two research prototypes and further commercial products, which are sold by MetaCASE Consulting Plc., Jyväskylä, Finland. He has been a member of the board of open-source software developer QT Company Plc., MetaCASE Consulting Plc and chairman of the board of Syncron Tech. He was the winner of the 2013 Millennium Distinction Award of Technology Academy of Finland for open source and data research.