Analysis of COO skills development in Industrial engineering and management curriculum: a case study developed in ten portuguese higher education institutions

Abstract Over the past decade, innovation-driven environments have intensified the demand for multidisciplinary engineers capable of integrating technical expertise with strategic and operational leadership. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have lowered long-standing technical barriers, enabling faster execution and reshaping the value that operations and process management are expected to add. Within this context, this study examines how Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) Bachelor’s programs at Portuguese public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) align with the competencies of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) role, the c-level operational position, in innovation-oriented settings. A comparative multiple-case study was conducted across ten representative IEM programs for the 2024/2025 academic year. Based on scholarly and grey literature, a COO Competency Framework was developed, encompassing entrepreneurial, technical, and managerial skill categories. Curricula were analyzed through a two-stage process: (1) classification of courses into Areas of Knowledge (AKs) using ECTS-weighted median; and (2) competency mapping using a five-point alignment scale, supported by a multi-rater consensus procedure (Kendall’s W = 0.76). Results reveal a strong concentration in technical domains, particularly Industrial Optimization and Automation while Innovation and Entrepreneurship remains marginal and Sociology and Law is entirely absent. The overall COO alignment score across programs is low with technical skills outperforming entrepreneurial and managerial skills. Although institutions such as ISEP and UM demonstrate more balanced competency profiles, most programs exhibit structural underrepresentation of leadership, strategic planning, and change management capabilities. These findings indicate a persistent technical bias in Portuguese IEM education and highlight the need for deeper curricular integration of innovation and operational leadership competencies.