Innovation and Entrepreneurship in biotechnology: from science to business

Objectifs

This course provide students with an overview of creativity and innovation methodologies and how innovation in the life sciences is changing production methods, industrial structures, market dynamics and strategic decision making. This course will explore ways in which new opportunities arising from advances in biological knowledge can be turned into viable organisations that create value. On completion of this course, the student will be able to: (1) have a critical understanding of policy, economic and social issues shaping innovation in the life sciences and hence reshaping a number of industrial sectors. (2) To analyse industrial trends, examine competitive and collaborative strategies, compare business development trajectories.

Compétences visées

at the end of this course, students will have acquired:

1. Entrepreneurship skills, including increased capability to start a biotech business.
2. The capacity to recognise the commercial opportunities opened by new biological discoveries.
3. The ability to look at pressing problems from the perspective that these may have a biotechnological solution.
4.  The anchoring of transversal skills in communication, team work, project management
5. The importance of the interactions between teaching-research-entrepreneurship and the concept of ecosystem of innovation
6. The importance of IP and scientific and technological survey
7. The need for developing professional networks

Descriptif

The courses are firstly organized in short learning sessions dedicated to: creativity and methodologies of innovation; Bio business strategy; starting up a business: options, licencing, strategic alliance, spinouts, start-ups; Marketing.

Then the courses aims to teach students how to develop entrepreneurship in biotechnology:

1. Identify potentially significant scientific advances, which open up valuable opportunities.
2. Create a team to take advantage of such an opportunity.
3. Obtain the resources necessary to create an entrepreneurial organisation.
4. Manage the entrepreneurial organisation after its launch.
5. Seek to grow the business into a sustainable enterprise.
6. Create value for the enterprise’s stakeholders.