3.0

Average Course Rating

Technological innovation is everywhere—from smartphones and ChatGPT to solar panels and electric vehicles—but how well do we understand the processes that turn novel ideas into widely adopted technologies? This interdisciplinary course introduces models of technological change and explores their implications for engineers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers seeking to advance energy and other infrastructure systems. Students will engage with conceptual and quantitative models that explain how technologies emerge, improve in performance (e.g., through cost reductions), diffuse, and contribute to economic growth and human development. Case studies on energy, transportation, and general-purpose technologies ground abstractions in practical contexts. Key course themes include: (a) how technological characteristics influence innovation pathways; (b) the opportunities and limitations of using historical trends to guide future innovation; and (c) how modeling choices shape efforts to manage and accelerate technological change.