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The Work of the Future: Building Better Jobs in an Age of Intelligent Machines
Three years ago, robots, artificial intelligence (AI), and self-driving cars seemed to be coming fast. A widely cited study projected nearly half of all jobs in industrialized countries could soon be performed by robots or AI. A New Yorker cover published in late 2017 showed robots striding to work on a sidewalk where a disheveled human panhandler begged for coins. During the 2019 Super Bowl, six TV commercials featured robots or AI-enabled assistants. One beer advertisement showed robots gleefully surpassing humans in running, bicycling, and golfing, but ended with a robot gazing wistfully through a window at people socializing in a bar. Humans would soon be outcompeted in every arena except social drinking, this ad seemed to say.
MIT Corporate Innovation Program
Through a thoughtful and customized series of engagements, case studies, workshops, demonstrations, hackathons, and interactive discussions—at MIT, corporate campuses, or virtually—you will gain a unique MIT-insider perspective establishing a foundation for future strategic corporate/university partnerships.
Program framework
The Corporate Innovation Program is designed to provide your organization opportunities to learn about innovation as defined by MIT, practice innovation skills, engage with MIT’s I&E ecosystem, and sustain innovation practices.
Learn MIT Innovation
Explore the fundamentals, best practices, and the value of innovation ecosystems.
Practice Innovation Skills
Build teams, define challenges, explore new approaches, and flex your creative problem-solving skills.
A twelve-month program designed to help you address your key innovation challenges
During the program, you’re encouraged through relevant coursework, events, panels, and opportunities to consider how you apply insights within your organization.
You will embark on a twelve-month journey of learning, ideation, and discovery. Starting month one, your team will foster meaningful relationships with MIT’s diverse community.
Agility in the age of COVID-19
As the entire MIT community adjusts to the new reality of Covid-19, we at The Corporate Innovation Program and MITii have adapted to an increasingly digital world.
The twelve month program as designed has been amended to showcase our courses, hackathons, and panels remotely. For more information, contact CorporateInnovation@mit.edu.
Program timeline
The MIT Corporate Innovation Program consists of six synergistic modules, each composed of unique MIT content, and curated to optimize corporate experiential opportunities. The modules in combination deliver a signature MIT experience for corporations.
Click on each subject to learn more:


LEARN MIT INNOVATION
Your organization will be introduced to innovation as defined, researched, and practiced at MIT, innovation success factors at the individual and organizational levels, and the role of regional innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystems.
HACKATHONS
Your members will attend events to practice team building, ideation, creative problem solving, and other innovation skills.
EXPERT PANELS
Your members will attend company-specific events that bring together a focused group of corporate executives and MIT faculty to address a strategic problem space defined by your organization.
FUNDING BOARD
Your organization will define a specific problem for multiple student groups to solve and present in a competition-like event. Your organization may select, and provide funding for, development of a solution you consider valuable.
STUDENT PROJECTS
Your members will engage with students or student group through an internship (engaging an MIT student to work on a project for the company) or by participating in a capstone project (employees and students work on a project together).
SUSTAINING INNOVATION
Your members will attend a series of presentations and workshops to engage your organization with groups in the MIT innovation ecosystem. This is to enable continuing focus on innovation.
Program timeline
This program features six key subjects, and presents electives for conferences, guest lectures, executive education, mentoring, recruiting, visiting fellows, and professional education.
Month 1
MIT INNOVATION FUNDAMENTALS
Your organization will be introduced to innovation as defined, researched, and practiced at MIT, innovation success factors at the individual and organizational levels, and the role of regional innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Month 3
HACKATHONS
Your members will attend events to practice team building, ideation, creative problem solving, and other innovation skills.
Month 5
EXPERT PANELS
Your members will attend company-specific events that bring together a focused group of corporate executives and MIT faculty to address a strategic problem space defined by your organization.
Month 7
FUNDING BOARD
Your organization will define a specific problem for multiple student groups to solve and present in a competition-like event. Your organization may select, and provide funding for, development of a solution you consider valuable.
Month 9
STUDENT PROJECTS
Your members will engage with students or student group through an internship (engaging an MIT student to work on a project for the company) or by participating in a capstone project (employees and students work on a project together).
Month 11
SUSTAINING INNOVATION
Your members will attend a series of presentations and workshops to engage your organization with groups in the MIT innovation ecosystem. This is to enable continuing focus on innovation.
An innovation mindset for the future of your organization
The relationship we build will last well after your custom curriculum is completed. By fully engaging with the program, member corporations have the opportunity to benefit from:

INNOVATION INSIGHTS AND PRACTICE
- A new definition & approach to innovation
- The understanding of innovation success factors & best practices
- The roles of internal & external ecosystems
- Peer-to-peer corporate insights

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY EXPLORATION
- The ability to identify emerging trends in technology & pathways to implementation
- A broad and deep connection with leading MIT researchers & faculty

EMPLOYEE INSPIRATION
- Opportunities for employee participation at MIT and at corporate locations
- New strategies to inspire employees to think and work differently

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
- The opportunity to work with MIT students thus establishing access to potential future employers

A STRONG BRAND PARTNERSHIP
- Prominent recognition as members of the MIT Corporate Innovation Program
- A lasting, productive relationship between your brand and MIT

A LIFETIME OF INNOVATION
- A new approach to innovation that will boost ideation, collaboration, communication, and action.
Leveraging the Innovation Ecosystem Stakeholder Model
The Corporate Innovation Program leverages the Innovation Ecosystem Stakeholder Model. This program was built upon this model, and continues to refer to it as tenets are developed and custom curriculums are built.
The Innovation Ecosystem Stakeholder Model focuses on 5 stakeholders: government, corporate, academia, risk capital, and the entrepreneurial community. It aims to inspire people who care about innovation in a certain region identify the strengths of the five stakeholders and how they interact.
The MIT Innovation Ecosystem Stakeholder Model
WORKING PAPER
MIT’s Stakeholder Framework for Building & Accelerating Innovation Ecosystems
Dr. Phil Budden
MIT Sloan School of Management
Prof. Fiona Murray
MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Innovation Initiative
Start your innovation journey.
The Corporate Innovation Program is suited for organizations that strive to strengthen their innovation mindset and seek to address innovation challenges with guidance from MIT.