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AI, Digital and Innovation Policy (996N1)

15 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Spring teaching

On this module, you’ll examine industrial and innovation policies to manage radical technical change, with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

You’ll explore the aims, reasons and tools behind these policies. Through this, you’ll learn how policy decisions shape industrial development and competitiveness at multiple levels, from local to international.

You’ll also explore how governments:

• create innovation incentives
• address sectoral and spatial polarisation
• navigate global trade contexts.

You’ll focus on AI and digital technologies, using concepts from innovation studies. The module looks at both historical and forward-looking insights of major technological change. You’ll compare their similarities and differences, and consider their impact on:

• energy
• information
• goods and services production and distribution.

In seminars, you’ll discuss how policies are developed, rationale and limitations in emerging and developing countries.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 32 hours of contact time and about 118 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.