Entry requirements

130 credits including 10 credits at Master's level

Learning outcomes

The overall objective of the course is that the student should get a good understanding of the principles behind 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:

• briefly describe the business development process,
• describe the challenges and requirements put on management, board members and share holders in different development situations,
• account for how a business plan is used and how it is developed,
• plan and implement a buisiness development project in a team,
• describe the fundamentals of intellectual property rights and legislation, particularly in companies active within biotech or natural resource management,
• explain how an idea can be developed into a widely diffused innovation.

Content

The course covers 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. .guest lecture(s).

Assessment

The course examination consists of a written exam (7 credits) and written presentations of the project (3 credits).

Participation in workshops gives bonus points that can be used on the exam.

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 special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.