Now more than ever, digital technology and the interaction between humans and machines are interconnected with day-to-day business. Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, which are now transversal within the business world, are changing the way we work. The separation between technology and decision-making has ceased to exist.
Just as the attention of ESCP Business School to market evolution is one of the cornerstones of its educational offer, so is its responsiveness to change. Recognizing that understanding technology has become an essential skill for future managers at every level, it was only natural to offer its students a privileged corridor to understand the current changes in this area.
The Bachelor in Management (BSc) is one of the best examples of theory and practice merging in a cutting-edge educational experience. In fact, our BSc students are challenged by the Key Scientific and Technological Issues in Business module in their second year.
Key Scientific and Technological Issues in Business.
Understanding today’s world in partnership with Comau Academy
At the ESCP Turin Campus, our Bachelor students are supported during their encounter with digital technologies by the partnership with Comau Academy. Similarly to ESCP, Comau Academy firmly believes that the effectiveness of tomorrow’s employees, managers and entrepreneurs relies mainly on their ability to balance the inherent needs of people, processes and technology. The Key Scientific and Technological Issues in Business module is, therefore, a natural synthesis of shared values whereby the students become protagonists.
“The course has been designed to align theory and hands-on practice within a context that reflects the culture and characteristics of a real-world business,” tells us Ezio Fregnan, Director of Comau Academy. “We first work on developing a common understanding of digital transformation and the technology evolution that are impacting businesses all over the world. After this, we look at a new kind of human and machine collaboration that is open, easy-to-use and accessible to all. We introduce students to the e.DO educational robot and students begin to embrace a logic-computational mindset as they practice their ability to organize and code processes for the robot to execute.”
By the end of the course, students develop Python coding skills that can be used in the real-world to solve real company problems. “What makes our approach unique is that throughout the course, students are essentially smart working with a leading industrial company in a goal-oriented environment: leveraging teamwork, organizing projects, managing their time, and delivering results,” adds Fregnan.
Bachelor in Management (BSc).
A curriculum designed for students aspiring to leverage future challenges
“Ours is essentially a humanities-based technology course that teaches future business leaders how to openly converse within the new era of digital intelligence,” continues the Director of Comau Academy. “The module starts by looking at the relationship and balance between people, processes and technology.”
To this end, the Key Scientific and Technological Issues in Business module is highly complementary to the Bachelor’s second-year learning track. More importantly, it is fundamental in preparing students for the operational focus of the third year. “In fact, ESCP specializes in preparing students for the next steps of their careers by promoting interactive learning, cross-cultural teamwork and an interdisciplinary skillset. I think it’s fair to say that these same values are key characteristics of our module,” adds Ezio Fregnan.
Markets are evolving faster than ever. New technology and new ways of doing business are breaking down the rigid separation of corporate functions like finance, operations, strategy and IT. Managers today need to understand the impact of technology and converse openly and competently about it using a common language. They don’t need to be engineers but need to take advantage of what these intelligent new technologies can offer. Basic training, which includes understanding an industrial robot’s functions and being able to program and interact with one, lends itself to virtually any career path.
- READ ALSO: The 7 Management Skills for a Changing World
Manage the unpredictability.
Technology as a fundamental node of the new everyday life
As one might imagine, the COVID-19 health emergency has created the need for Comau Academy to modify the hands-on aspects of the module. The original plan was to bring their mobile e.DO robot units directly to the ESCP campus where the students could touch, see and learn using the modular, multi-axis articulated robot – the same underlying robotics technology used in businesses worldwide to automate manufacturing processes.
Instead, as in many other aspects of our life, the current health emergency has called for creative solutions to brand new challenges. “In moving from a physical, on-site experience to a distance-learning experience using virtual e.DO robots, we were delighted with how enthusiastic the students were. Positive, engaged and responsive to the creative learning approach, they became protagonists and showed incredible innovation within their final projects,” says Fregnan. “We’re eager to see if this year’s class can top their achievements!”
In addition to the module’s didactical nature, it is designed to inspire students, make them protagonists of their future, and introduce them to cutting-edge technology in a fun and interactive setting. This truly unique combination goes above and beyond theory, allowing students to apply their skills in a real-world environment that unites practical project execution with interpersonal skills and professional feedback.
ESCP Business School, as well as Comau Academy, truly believe that young talents, such as BSc students, are the protagonists of the future. Their energy and innovation-oriented mindset paved the way for significant transformations, thanks to the support of new technology paradigms.
Learn more about the Bachelor in Management (BSc) and discover why understanding the impact of technology on business is a crucial part of a future leader’s education.
Comau is a leading company in the industrial automation field, at a global level. Comau’s competency stems from over 45 years of field proven-experience and a strong presence within every major industrial country. Through the Comau Academy, the company shares its knowledge by providing masters, training programs, seminars and publications to companies, professionals and young talents.
