Entrepreneurship and Innovation course
Supporting KIC's
Domain: Domain 4 – Enhancing the quality of innovation and entrepreneurial education.
Action: A4.3: Develop innovation and entrepreneurial training programmes and mentoring scheme
The contents of the course include two different parts (i.e. innovation and entrepreneurship). The course lasts for 3 weeks, teaching happens every day (Monday to Friday) from 9.00 to 12.30. The main contents of the course are:
- Innovation policy and projectsÂ
1.1. Introduction to innovation
1.2. R&I projects and their management
1.3. Funding R&I
1.4. Intellectual/Industrial property rights
1.5. Public policies and instruments
1.6. Current trends in R&I
- EntrepreneurshipÂ
2.1. The entrepreneurial ecosystem
2.2. Understanding the ecosystem
2.3. Entrepreneurship business models
2.4. Corporate entrepreneurship
2.5. Other forms of innovation and entrepreneurship
2.6. Strategic management
Course evaluation:
50%: Individual exam(s) on the course’s contents
50%: Group activity based on designing a business plan around an innovative idea
On top of these two components, there are other optional activities that students can use to increase their grades (i.e. in class participation and discussion and in class case studies).
On week 1 students define and develop their “entrepreneurial idea” which will be further refined and explained in the next two weeks. At the end of week 1, students do a small test about the main theoretical topics explained during the week. Everyday there is time in class to work on the development of the entrepreneurial idea. Students work in groups. One of the keys in this course is that there is a wide variety of backgrounds (in terms of nationalities, academic backgrounds or levels of professional experience). When groups are created professors make sure that there is as much heterogeneity in groups as possible.
On week 2 students focus on the practical aspects of the entrepreneurial idea to be developed. The different parts of a Business plan are explained and put into practice. In this week students also work with case studies from real (European) companies. At the end of week 2, students do a small test about the main theoretical topics explained during the week. Everyday there is time in class to work on the refinment of the entrepreneurial idea.
On week 3 students should have developed a minimum viable product/service that should be ready to be tested on the market. At the end of week 3, students present their business plan “to investors”.
More information can be found in the UAB Barcelona Summer School website: https://www.uab.cat/web/courses/cursos-de-ciencies-socials/innovation-entrepreneurship-1345844090109.html.
Context
Research and innovation (R&I) and new business ideas are the key for a long-term sustained economic growth worldwide, especially in the globalised modern world, where large rates of competitiveness require improving products, services, and processes, taking into account the international perspective to do so.
Audiences
Undergraduate (international) students from any background. No specialised background is required.
Key outcomes
3-week course in entrepreneurship and innovation. This course has a very practical and hands-on approach, and it is offered to students from different backgrounds (from economics and politics who want to better understand these topics to more science-oriented students who aim at learning about the economic logic of their fields of expertise).
This course intends to offer an in-depth perspective to the role of R&I and its business-based logic in the modern economies, from 2 main perspectives: (i) understanding the logic of the investment for innovation, especially from a public point of view, and how stakeholders develop their R&I projects; and (ii) turning new and innovative ideas into business opportunities, developing entrepreneurial activities. The course combines different teaching and evaluation methodologies such as case studies, in class participation and discussion, 2 tests and the development of a real entrepreneurial project.
Key success factors / How to replicate / Sustainability mechanism
Two of the main strong aspects in this course are 1) that it follows a very practical and hands-on approach (in which students can develop and implement their own entrepreneurial ideas and innovations in just three weeks) and 2) the fact that it has a wide variety of students profiles in class. This makes the whole experience to be a lot more enriching to students and the development of the business idea becomes a lot more complete.
Hence, it is very important to have a wide variety of students profiles in class. If the course has a very significant number of “similar students” (i.e. business and economics students from the same nationality with similar levels of working experience) it is likely that the overall experience and skills development by students is not as satisfactory as it could have been. Promoting the course among the different faculties and departments within the university is highly recommended.