Module Code - Title:
AH6012
-
EMERGING TRENDS IN INDUSTRY
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
This module is being created as part of an effort enable graduates of arts, humanities or social science to take up careers in industry. The purpose of the module is to enable students to become familiar with changing trends in industry and will encourage them to take a long term perspective on the role of any given industry or sector. The particular aim of this module is to integrate practice and practitioner based learning into the students' education journey. As such, most of the contributions to the module will be provided by industry partners.
Syllabus:
This module will consist of a core component dedicated to the topic of strategic, corporate foresight, followed by a series of seminars with strategically selected practitioners from a range of manufacturing and service industries in the MidWest region. These seminars will introduce students to the industry in question and will identify current and future trends, using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats framework. The module will integrate with other modules taken by students on their postgraduate programme, for example, to highlight the use of design thinking, the challenges of AI, the role of emerging technologies. This module will also feature a dedicated component designed to introduce students to the use of Agile planning approaches in industry.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the meaning and role of strategic and corporate foresight in industrial and other related contexts
- identify the current and evolving realities of manufacturing and service industries and situate these in a broader societal context.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the complexities and requirements for future planning in industry
- Recognise the importance of developing their own future planning capacities.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
N/A
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
This module will be delivered via lecture content on approaches to strategic foresight processes, which will in turn prepare students for active engagement in industry led seminars. These seminars will examine industry specific futures in greater detail and will explore how individual companies approach future planning. Students will be expected to produce a literature review on strategic foresight processes, including consideration of specific industry contexts. They will also be required to produce an extended reflection on the industry led seminars to appraise how companies engage in active future planning. It is expected that the content of this module and the approach to taken to delivery and assessment will foster more agile and curious students, encouraging their imagination and critical capacities to identify future trends and their problem solving capacity in identifying ways of meeting future challenges.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Iden, J.; Methlie, L.B.; Christensen, G.E;
(2017)
The nature of strategic foresight research: A systematic literature review
, Technological Forecasting and Social Change
Strategic Foresight Unit (2018)
OECD Scenarios for digital transformation
, OECD
Haarhaus, T.; Liening, A.;
(2020)
Building dynamic capabilities to cope with environmental uncertainty: The role of strategic foresight
, Technological Forecasting and Social Change
Arokodare, MA; Asikhia, OU; (2020)
Strategic agility: Achieving superior organizational performance through strategic foresight
, Global Journal of Management and Business Research
Other Relevant Texts:
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
MSCETITFA - COMMUNICATIONS, EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INDUSTRY PRACTICES
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Spring
Module Leader:
chris.g.mcinerney@ul.ie