Innovation and Value Creation in Research
Forskningsinnovation och värdeskapande

GEM070F, 3 credits

Valid from: Spring 2014
Decided by: FN1/Anders Gustafsson, FN2/Eva Nordberg-Karlsson, FN3/Per Tunestål
Date of establishment: 2014-11-11

General Information

Division: Innovation Engineering
Course type: Third-cycle course
Teaching language: English

Aim

The aim of this course is to equip PhD students, at an early stage of their education, with the tools and commercial “spectacles” needed to be able to look at their research from a utilization perspective. This will further stimulate the transfer of research results to society, and contribute to enhanced innovation and cooperation between academy and industry.

Goals

Knowledge and Understanding

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• know how to use the innovation system within and outside LU for research utilization.
• be able to explain who has a need for their own research results, what the advantages are compared to other approaches and which are the competing research groups in the world.
• be able to explain the customer/market need and know in which ways a new idea or product must be better than the ones existing on the market to be competitive.
• be able to give an account for the commercial prerequisites needed to be fulfilled in order to commercialize a research idea.
• Know what are the different means for protecting intellectual property.
• Know how to finance early innovation projects.

Competences and Skills

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• be able to perform an NABC-analysis (containing need – approach – benefits – competition) of their own research project and to present it orally and in a written report.
• be able to describe an NABC-analysis of a business idea orally and in a written report.
• be able to perform a market analysis including customer and competition analysis
• be able to read and understand a patent and to be able to perform searches in patent databases.
• be able to orally present (pitch) their project in a selling and convincing way.

Judgement and Approach

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• have gained an increased perception of possibilities and prerequisites for utilization of research results, to such an extent that it has influenced his/her attitude towards it.
• have gained a widened understanding for and prerequisites for planning and performing research in cooperation with actors from society and industry.
• have become more interested in and understood the importance of searching information in patent databases.

Course Contents

The course is held during five days within 2 months of time with focus areas: a) “Innovation in the research environment” (what is innovation?, utilization, the NABC(need – approach – benefits – competition) concept) b) “Put on your innovation spectacles” (Market analysis, customer benefits) c) “Protecting your ideas” (intellectual property, patent strategies, licensing, patent search) d) “Optimizing conditions for funding” (financing research ideas, pitching technique) e) “Tools for innovation ” (prototyping, catalysis of innovation)

Course Literature

There is no specific course literature, but the book below is recommended for those who wish to know more about the NABC-concept that was developed at Stanford research institute.Carlson, Curtis R. & Wilmot, William W.: Innovation: The five disciplines for creating what customers want.. Crown Business, New York, 2006.

Instruction Details

Types of instruction: Lectures, seminars, project. The course is built on lectures around the different focus areas and three project assignments, out of which two are individual and one is done in group.

Examination Details

Examination formats: Written report, written assignments, seminars given by participants. Project 1: NABC-analysis around the students research project presented in a one-page report and orally. Project 2: Groups project around idea with business potential, more thorough NABC-analysis in a 10-page report and oral presentation in value creation forum. Project 3: Individual search around the doctoral student´s research project in patent databases (day 3) which shall be written up in a short report.
Grading scale: Failed, pass
Examiner:

Admission Details

Admission requirements: registered as PhD student

Further Information

The course is aimed for all PhD students at LTH, that have recently started their education.

Course Occasion Information

Contact and Other Information

Course coordinators:
Web page: http://www.biotek.lu.se/education/phd_courses/research-innovation/