Victoria University of Wellington is launching a new Master’s degree aimed at placing students at the coalface of product development and commercialisation.

The Master of Innovation and Commercialisation will see students work at transforming actual, real-world innovations into commercial realities.

The multidisciplinary, practice-based degree is open to students from a range of disciplines, such as design, science, engineering, IT and business.

“The primary objective of the degree is to get students to really cut their teeth in the process of developing and commercialising technologically-advanced innovations,” says programme director Jenny Douché.

“This includes analysing the feasibility of new innovations, technology-transfer, funding, intellectual property, and manufacturing considerations.

“It will require individual resourcefulness, and the need to quickly learn how to work in teams and with industry and research partners.”

Most students will work on an innovation project alongside an organisation, but they can also work on their own innovations.

According to Mrs Douché, the degree is ideal for students who want to work as product managers, commercialisation specialists, analysts, or start their own business.

“Students will come away with invaluable knowledge from having experienced genuine ‘knocks and scrapes’ from the commercial world.”

Mrs Douché says many commentators now recommend education that allows for versatility and resourcefulness due to an increasingly sophisticated and uncertain job market, and that the new Master’s programme caters to this.

“We want students on the programme to develop a robust intellectual toolkit for problem-solving, and a grounding in product development and commercialisation, so they can identify opportunities, get a sense for where things are heading and respond accordingly.

“It’s not a programme for the faint-hearted, but the learning and networking opportunities will be great,” says Mrs Douché.