Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology
Entreprenörskap inom bioteknik

KBT005F, 7.5 credits

Valid from: Autumn 2013
Decided by: FN2/Eva Nordberg Karlsson
Date of establishment: 2013-04-02

General Information

Division: Biotechnology
Course type: Third-cycle course
Teaching language: English

Aim

The aim of the course is to provide PhD students in the field of engineering, natural science or medicine with an entrepreneurial mindset, to stimulate them to look a their research from a more commercial viewpoint and to understand when a research idea can be turned into a business idea with potential in the market. The overall aim of the course is to stimulate the transfer of research results into society by implementing the ideas related to commercialisation in the minds of tomorrows researchers. The course shall provide basic knowledge in entrepreneurship, inspire to entrepreneurship by invited guest entrepreneurs, and train the students in combining their knowledge in research with a business mind.

Goals

Knowledge and Understanding

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• For a passing grade the student must:
• - Understand the key concepts and terminology used in the area of entrepreneurship and business.
• - Have aquired knowledge about the different steps of a start-up process with special emphasis on a life science company.
• - Have developed competence to evaluate a research result or and idea from a business perspective, and be able to relate the idea to a need in the market in order to understand its market potential.
• - Have aquired knowledge about the innovation system around Lund University and how this in different ways can contribute to the development of a business idea, such as how to get financing, how to apply for a patent and how to get business advice.
• - Have aquired an overview knowledge about marketing strategies, patenting, financing and entrepreneurship.

Competences and Skills

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• For a passing grade the student must
• - Orally and in a written report present an investigation of the market area relevant for the project.
• - Orally and in a written report present a business plan for the project. The student can choose from writing a business plan based on their own business idea or if such a real business idea is missing, write an analysis of a business plan from a case study of an existing biotech company.

Judgement and Approach

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• For a passing grade the student must
• - Have increased their business mind and learnt what it takes for a research idea to work as a business idea to an extent that he/she can make a judgement about their own research and evaluate whether it could be tranformed into a viable business idea.
• - Have assimilated increased knowledge about entrepreneurship and about starting a company within the biotech area, to an extent that it has influenced his/her attitude to the same.

Course Contents

The course consists of three parts: 1) Lectures. Lectures will be given on different topics and contain an equal amount of theory and real-life examples. The topic areas are: Identification of possibilites NABC - Opportunity screening and evaluation of business posssibilities. Marketing, market research and planning. Business models and strategic alliances. How to write a business plan and present your business idea. From research to product examples from life science companies. Patenting (IPR) / Licensing Regulatory aspects Financing and venture capital 2) Invited entrepreneurs. The students shall meet active role models in terms of biotech entrepreneurs who themselves started a company. A number of guest lecturers (5-7) will be invited to tell their story and give their view on the biotech area. 3) Projects. The students shall perform one group project consisting of two parts. The aim of the project is to write a business plan based on a real research result, either provided by themselves or another researcher. In the first part the students will perform a market screening to learn about competitors, customers and the need for the product/service they have chosen to work with. This part will be presented in a report in the middle of the course. In the second part the students will continue to expand the market report into a full business plan. This will be reported in written form and the student will also pitch their business idea for a panel of evaluators at the end of the course.

Course Literature

Company, M.: Starting up - Achieving success with professional business planning.

Instruction Details

Types of instruction: Lectures, project, study visit. The course will be given at half speed during the whole autumn, with one lecture (3h) every week. One study visit is planned at Lund Life Science incubator, Medicon village.

Examination Details

Examination formats: Written report, written assignments, seminars given by participants. Assessment of the two projects that will be reported in two written reports (the market plan and the business plan) and at an oral presentation. Students are obliged to be present at at least 75% of the lectures.
Grading scale: Failed, pass
Examiner:

Admission Details

Admission requirements: Bachelor (150 credits (högskolepoäng)) in engineering, natural science or medicine.

Course Occasion Information

Contact and Other Information

Course coordinators: