Entry requirements

130 credits, which of 90 credits in science/engineering, including 10 credits at Master's level. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

The overall objective of the course is that the student should get a good understanding of the principles behind research and development (R&D) and Innovation management in large established companies as well as in small entrepreneurial companies. The focus is on companies active within biotech and natural resource management.

On completion of the course the student should be able to:

• analyse and value different business development processes,
• describe the challenges and requirements put on management, board members and share holders in different development situations,
• account for and value the importance of a business plan, how it is designed and applied on a technical development idea,
• plan and implement a buisiness development project in a team,
• describe and discuss the fundamentals of intellectual property rights and legislation, value and comment its importance for companies in different development stages, particularly in companies active within biotech or natural resource management,
• reason and critically value different conditions under which an technical business idea can be developed into an innovation.

Content

The various steps in a business development process based on technological (innovative) ideas or new, internal or external, research results. The course discusses the challenges put on management and founders in a research-intensive company. In addition, obstacles and opportunities in bringing a new product to the market are discussed and analysed. The course focuses both on R&D and innovation processes in established, larger organisations and in small entrepreneurial start-ups. Besides theoretical knowledge of innovation processes, methods for practical project management are identified and described.

The course includes the following elements:

• Business concept, business plan, business development
• Early market development
• Financing R&D and new venture development in different business contexts
• Requirement for management in different situations in business
• Reward systems in knowledge-intensive companies
• Strategic alliances
• Intellectual property rights (IPR) and its role in research-based development projects
• R&D and innovation management in companies active within biotechnology and natural resource management

Instruction

Weblectures, home assignments, workshops, project work and guest lecture(s).

Assessment

Written exam (7 credits). Written presentations of the project (3 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding targeted pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.