This course provides a foundation of modern theory and practice of product innovation in three parts. First, it will review the typical barriers to disruptive innovation: technological, organizational and market-driven. Second, cases of fast innovation will be reviewed with a focus on systems and technology. Third, the system engineer’s role in innovation will be covered with such methods as Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Axiomatic Design, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ), and basic intellectual property protection. The students will practice methods and explore and develop disruptive innovation in a class project.