Co-sponsored by the Snyder Innovation Management Center and the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), the 2024 PDMA Doctoral Consortium was held at Syracuse University from July 30-August 2, 2024. Twenty-three innovation scholars and twenty-one doctoral students from Europe, India, and the U.S. had the opportunity to share their innovation related research in a collaborative setting.

Grounded in PDMA’s founding goal to provide a forum for innovation research that is “broad yet focused,” consortium sessions delved into a broad range of topics including future directions for innovation research, emerging methodologies and tools, and teaching excellence in innovation. Doctoral students received feedback on their dissertation proposals, guidance on using a thematic research agenda to build their research portfolio, and advice on how to manage their careers.

Complementing the various panels, a workshop on theory building, a company visit to Baxter to see innovation in action, and a cruise on Skaneateles lake facilitated formal and informal interactions among the faculty and students. The Doctoral Consortium at the Snyder Center was successful in continuing to foster the PDMA’s vison of building a “community of learning” among innovation scholars.