Core and Emerging Technologies

BMAN75421 Core and Emerging Technologies 15 Semester 1 Postgraduate Taught Level 7 Panos Constantinides Unit coordinator Tatiana Martinez Unit coordinator Alliance Manchester Business School 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 7.5 In today's fast-paced digital world, understanding core and emerging technologies is critical for navigating and leading digital transformation across industries. This course explores a range of disruptive technologies reshaping business landscapes, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and cybersecurity. By mapping the digital ecosystem, students will examine how technologies, both emerging and legacy, will be challenged to explore technological trends, identifying the opportunities, threats, and disruptions that industries are likely to encounter.Through a combination of theory and practice, students will review a diverse range of technological applications, including artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and more. This experiential learning approach equips students with the skills necessary to extract value from these technologies and successfully deliver on digital transformation initiatives.   In today's fast-paced digital world, understanding core and emerging technologies is critical for navigating and leading digital transformation across industries. This course explores a range of disruptive technologies reshaping business landscapes, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and cybersecurity. By mapping the digital ecosystem, students will examine how technologies, both emerging and legacy, will be challenged to explore technological trends, identifying the opportunities, threats, and disruptions that industries are likely to encounter.Through a combination of theory and practice, students will review a diverse range of technological applications, including artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and more. This experiential learning approach equips students with the skills necessary to extract value from these technologies and successfully deliver on digital transformation initiatives.   The unit aims to:1. To provide students with an in-depth understanding of both established and emerging technologies that are influencing and transforming industries. 2. To equip students with the knowledge and skills to deal with the rapid growth and change of technology. 3. To critically evaluate the impact of these technologies on business models, operations, and competitive landscapes. 4. To enable students to identify and assess the potential of emerging technologies in driving digital transformation within organizations.   Knowledge and understanding                KU1       Analyse and critically evaluate a range of core and emerging technologies, understanding their principles, applications, and potential impact on business models and industry practices.               KU2       Explain how emerging and legacy technologies interact within a digital ecosystem to drive innovation and digital transformation in various sectors.                      Intellectual skills            IS1         Identify and assess the opportunities, challenges, and disruptions that emerging technologies present to industries.               IS2         Critically reflect on the societal, ethical, and operational implications of adopting emerging technologies.                        Practical skills                  PS1        Apply technologies such as AI, blockchain, IoT, and extended reality to address real-world business problems and support digital innovation.               PS2        Apply continuous learning strategies to stay current with technological advancements.Transferable skills and personal qualities        TS1         Research core and emerging technology-driven solutions.               TS2        Effectively communicate complex technological concepts Syllabus (indicative curriculum content):Week 1: Introduction to Core and Emerging TechnologiesOverview of digital transformation and its impact on industries.Introduction to core technologies (e.g., cloud computing, data analytics) and emerging technologies (e.g., AI, blockchain, IoT).Mapping the digital ecosystem: Understanding how technologies interact and drive change.Exploration of key industry trends and disruptors.Week 2: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine LearningCore concepts of AI and machine learning and their applications in various industries.AI-driven business models and decision-making.Ethical considerations and challenges in AI implementation.Success stories and failures of AI in business transformation.Hands-on workshop: Exploration of AI tools and solutions.Week 3: The Internet of Things (IoT) and ConnectivityFundamentals of IoT.Applications of IoT in smart homes, cities, healthcare, and industrial automation.Challenges in IoT adoption: Security, privacy, and data management.Case studies: The role of IoT in shaping future digital ecosystems.Week 4: Extended Reality (AR, VR, and MR)Overview of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR).Practical applications of extended reality in sectors like gaming, retail, education, and healthcare.Exploring how extended reality enhances user experiences and business operations.Hands-on workshop: Introduction to extended reality tools and platforms.Week 5: Blockchain and Distributed Ledger TechnologiesIntroduction to blockchain: How it works and its foundational principles.Applications of blockchain in finance, supply chain, healthcare, and beyond.Smart contracts, decentralized applications (dApps), and cryptocurrencies.Case studies: Regulatory, security, and ethical considerations in blockchain adoption.Week 6: Cybersecurity and Risk ManagementKey concepts in cybersecurity: Threats, vulnerabilities, and risk assessment.Protecting digital assets: Best This course will consist of lectures (10 x 1 hours), seminars/labs (10 x 2 hours), and independent learning (120 hours).This course will consist of lectures, whereby students will be required to have used part of their independent learning hours to prepare making use of resources made available prior to lectures (pre-recorded videos, readings, news, digital tools, and resources made available by tutors leading co-requisite courses). The course will also consist of weekly seminar/ lab sessions, which will offer students the opportunity to consolidate learning and experientially put theory into practice. Students will not only look at cases but also have the opportunity to experiment with the technologies being reviewed. Students will also have independent learning time which should be used to consolidate learning. 3 Report 100% Written feedback provided on CLE N Bailey, D. E., et al. (2022). "We Are All Theorists of Technology Now: A Relational Perspective on Emerging Technology and Organizing." Organization science 33(1): 1-18.Baskerville, R. L., et al. (2020). "Digital First: The Ontological Reversal and New Challenges for Information Systems Research." MIS quarterly 44 (2): 509-523.Brynjolfsson, E., Li, D., & Raymond, L. (2025). Generative AI at Work*. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 140(2), 889-942. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjae044Filippi, P. D. and S. Hassan (2016). "Blockchain technology as a regulatory technology: From code is law to law is code." First Monday 21(12): 1.Kallinikos, J. and Y. Yoo (2025). Digital Innovation. Handbook of Innovation: Perspectives from the Social Sciences. I. Schulz-Schaeffer, A. Windeler and B. Blättel-Mink. Cham, Springer Nature Switzerland: 1-15 Markus, M. L. and F. Rowe (2023). "The Digital Transformation Conundrum: Labels, Definitions, Phenomena, and Theories." Journal of the Association for Information Systems 24(2): 328-335.Márton, A. (2022). "Steps toward a digital ecology: ecological principles for the study of digital ecosystems." Journal of information technology 37(3): 250-265.Monteiro, E. and E. Parmiggiani (2019). "Synthetic Knowing: The Politics of the Internet of Things." MIS quarterly 43(1): 167-184.Sarker, S., et al. (2019). "The sociotechnical axis of cohesion for the IS discipline: Its historical legacy and its continued relevance." MIS quarterly 43(3): 695-719.Schneier, B. and A. Vance (2025). "”Complexity is the Worst Enemy of Security": Studying Cybersecurity Through the Lens of Organizational Complexity." MIS quarterly 49(1): 205-210.Vial, G. (2019). "Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda." The journal of strategic information systems 28(2): 118-144.Venters, W. and E. A. Whitley (2012). "A critical review of cloud computing: researching desires and realities." Journal of information technology 27(3): 179-197. Lectures 10 Seminars 20 0 120