Fees and funding

Fees

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

  • MSc (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £17,900
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £33,600

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

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Course unit details:
Place and innovation, from Silicon Valley to Graphene City

Course unit fact file
Unit code BMAN62062
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Offered by Alliance Manchester Business School
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This unit explores the spatial dynamics of innovation and its implications for economic development and policy. Students will engage with theoretical frameworks and real-world case studies, developing critical and analytical skills relevant to careers in policy, consultancy, and innovation management.

Pre/co-requisites

BMAN62062 Programme Req: BMAN62062 is only available as an elective to students on MSc IME, and MSc MIDP

Aims

Examine how innovation shapes and is shaped by economic, spatial, and policy contexts.

Explore why innovation hotspots emerge and what this means for entrepreneurs, managers, and policymakers.

Assess roles of clusters, ecosystems, universities, and science infrastructure in regional development.

Syllabus

Geography of innovation and regional development

Innovation clusters and entrepreneurial ecosystems

Role of institutions and universities

Innovation districts and urban innovation strategies

Policy rationales, instruments, and evaluation

Case studies: Silicon Valley, Greater Manchester, and global examples

Knowledge and understanding

Understand key theories on geography of innovation and regional development.

Analyse determinants of innovation-led growth and cluster formation.

Evaluate policy approaches for promoting innovation in lagging regions.

Intellectual skills

Critically appraise academic and policy literature on innovation and place to identify implications for regional development.

Synthesise evidence from case studies to inform policy recommendations.

Practical skills

Conduct structured analysis of regional innovation systems.

Prepare professional presentations for policy audiences.

Use digital platforms for collaborative learning and research.

 

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Communicate complex ideas clearly in written and

Demonstrate adaptability and problem-solving in simulated policy contexts.

Assessment methods

Individual Report (80%)

Individual Video Presentation (20%)

 

 

Feedback methods

Feedback via Canvas within 15 working days of submission deadline

Recommended reading

Breznitz, D. (2021). Innovation in real places: Strategies for prosperity in an unforgiving world. Oxford University Press, USA

Lee, N. (2024) Innovation for the Masses: How to Share the Benefits of the High-Tech Economy. University of California Press.  

Huggins, R. et al. (eds.) (2024) Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Cities and Regions

Emergence, Evolution, and Future. Oxford University Press

Fuchs, G., and Shapira, P., eds. (2005), Rethinking Regional Innovation and Change: Path Dependency or Regional Breakthrough? Springer, New York. Springer e-book: http:

//dx.doi.org/10.1007/b100337.

Feldman, M.P., 2014. The character of innovative places: entrepreneurial strategy, economic development, and prosperity. Small Bus Econ 43, 9-20.

Katz, B., & Wagner, J. (2014). The rise of urban innovation districts.Harv. Bus. Rev.  

Lecuyer C, 2006, Making Silicon Valley: Innovation and the growth of High Tech, 1930- 1970, (MIT Press, Cambridge MA). 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 30
Independent study hours
Independent study 120

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Elvira Uyarra Unit coordinator

Return to course details

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