Innovation and Start-ups in Business Networks

Business success and competitive advantage are increasingly based on innovation, rather than merely price competition and cost efficiency. Innovating includes also identifying, creating and seizing new commercial opportunities, especially through the creation of start-ups and new ventures. Therefore, managers at all levels and entrepreneurs need to understand the dynamics and mechanisms of innovation. This includes being able to handle the following issues: where do innovative ideas comes from? how can they be transformed into successful products launched on the market? which barriers and opportunities emerge during the innovation process? how can the business network surrounding an innovation or a start-up be developed and exploited to improve the chance of success? how can start-ups and innovations be developed in a socially responsible and sustainable way?

The course addresses the issues above in both theory and practice. The relevant models and concepts are first introduced by the teacher and then applied by students to a series of practical cases, discussed either in pair or by the whole class. Participants will also train in developing and defending their own start-up ideas in front of panel of peers during an “entrepreneur-venture capitalist” roleplay.

Course leader

Enrico Baraldi is Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management at Uppsala University (Sweden) and is Project manager at PLATINEA – Platform for Innovation of Existing Antibiotics (Sweden).

Target group

Students from all disciplinary background are invited to participate. No prerequisites are required.
Participants interested in starting an own company or bringing to market an new idea/technology.

Course aim

Upon completing this module students will develop skills enabling them to
- analyze the complex structures and processes involved in product innovation and start-ups in order to
- identify opportunities and problems;
- elaborate how products and start-ups can create value to developers, entrepreneurs and users;
- identify, evaluate and affect the key actors and resources involved in the complex business networks around innovations and start-ups;
- understand the nature of disruptive innovations and how new ventures enable handling them;
- account for different perspectives on entrepreneurial opportunities, and their connection to responsible entrepreneurship
- formulate, model, plan and present to external parties a business idea.

Fee info

EUR 360: Ordinary fee. It includes: participation in one course, evening talk, certificate of participation, transcript for ECTS transfer (if requested, Wifi on campus , welcome reception.
Fee does not include: accommodation, travel to Budapest, local transportation, health insurance.
EUR 0: Early bird fee until 31 May 2023.

Scholarships

No scholarship is available.