Christopher Tucci at the helm of the CDM - Interview
© Alain Herzog
The appointment of Professor Christopher Tucci is considered a stimulating breakthrough for the College of Management of Technology (CDM) which, for the past five years, had been managed ad interim. This is excellent news for Management Sciences and the spirit of Entrepreneurship at EPFL.
Since September 2013, Christopher Tucci is the new Director of the College of Management of Technology (CDM) where he also holds the research Chair of Corporate Strategy and Innovation (CSI). As the Director of the Management of Technology section, Christopher Tucci was instrumental in the launch of the College’s core curriculum in the academic year of 2003 - 2004 and the subsequent creation of the EDMT doctoral program. His field of research focuses on the way firms acquire and react to new technologies. Interview:
What is the mission of the CDM?
By structuring its educational activities around “Management Science” (technological innovation, financial engineering, and entrepreneurship), the CDM is addressing a number of issues related to the disciplines taught in different Schools of EPFL and complements these disciplines with an entrepreneurial lens. The CDM provides an educational link between engineering, technologies and science with a comprehensive approach to industrial issues and public policy. The CDM serves as a catalyst for development—an important function of management science recognized by leading universities across the world.
So do you consider the CDM to be an intersection of the economy and technology for EPFL?
Exactly, the CDM educates students where new technology meets the private and public sectors, prepares them for roles of higher responsibility in their career progression, and encourages the creation of start-ups as well as the synergies between industry and EPFL laboratories. The EPFL is an extraordinary institution for research in the field of Management Science. The CDM may be considered an added value for EPFL as it encourages and promotes interactions and knowledge transfer between researchers from all scientific disciplines, Master’s and doctoral students, and corporate executives.
To accomplish this, it is now essential to further develop the CDM.
How do you perceive this development?
Success will be based on a combination of the continued motivation of all CDM stakeholders, building on our collaboration with the other EPFL Schools, and better positioning on the national and international scene. To achieve this goal, we will soon be launching the Institute of Technology and Public Policy. In Europe, there are relatively few centers dedicated to these issues and activities in these areas open up a vast field of inquiry. This Institute will address governance issues related to public policy, intellectual property, innovation, and technology transfer, including issues central to the Swiss economy such as energy.
These are just a few examples of the many activities we will undertake to establish CDM as a leader in the field of Management Science.