Course: Entrepreneurship and Valorization for medical sciences

Objectives    

Upon completion of the course the students will:

1.     Be aware of the basic concepts and theories of entrepreneurship and valorization.

2.     Be able to critically review these theories and discuss their assumptions

3.     Be able to apply insights on entrepreneurship in contexts related to medical & life sciences research.

4.     Develop an entrepreneurial attitude, a minimal requirement necessary for researchers these days.

Overview      

This is the second edition of this course, reworked based on the feedback of the first group, and a better knowledge of the audience. The central theme of the Course is entrepreneurship as a process of exploring, evaluating and exploiting opportunities for valorization of knowledge that has been developed at the University through, for example (but not only), technology venturing.

In seven classes/workshops we will discuss individual characteristics of entrepreneurs (How can a scientist become a successful entrepreneur?), the origin of entrepreneurial opportunities (How to spot an opportunity to create a business?), basic principles of business models, including strategy, marketing, network organization and financing aspects of launching a business.

Each class will be based on a pre-class reading, a discussion in class on the main topic of the week and a group work assignment to apply the knowledge and see how it can be used. Finally, we aim to finish each class with a guest talk by an entrepreneur. In some cases entrepreneurs will give the group work assignments based on their business practice.

At the end of the course (Week 8) students of this course will develop and present a business case based on their own (PhD) research project, or on analysis of another business (preferably in medical area). Depending on the specific research subject (e.g. technical or not) this business case might be written in the form of a Technology Foundation STW Valorisation Grant Phase II Application.

Hours per week        

3

Teaching method    

Combined lectures/workshops, guest lectures.

Assessment

Presentation(s)

Course Structure

The course consists of 8 sessions, 6 planned classes, 1 class reserved for a topic which will be most interesting for the participants of the course (“on demand”, alternatively we can talk about writing a business plan), and 1 last class for the presentation of a project.

 

 

EC (without exam)

4

EC (with exam)

5

Course coordinators

• dr. Olga Belousova, Faculty of Economics and Business (o.belousova@rug.nl)
  
• Prof.dr. Aard Groen, Faculty of Economics and Business
  

Language

English

Target Groups

• PhD students

Contact person

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