Industry Perspectives on Innovative Medicine

Industry Perspectives on Innovative Medicine (IPIM) is an engaging one-week interactive school designed for advanced undergraduate and master students seeking to explore the expansive, non-academic landscape of biomedical research. The week-long school unfolds through a dynamic blend of industry expert talks, guest speaker sessions, enlightening site visits, and interactive workshops.

Industry experts
This program offers a distinctive opportunity for participants to get insights from various industry experts, coming from diverse sectors such as Pharma, Drug Development, Biotech, Diagnostics, and Food & Nutrition. Additionally, the curriculum encompasses presentations by specialists in Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property Rights, and Startup Funding, as well as visits to company offices to get even closer experience of the industry world.

Decision-making processes in private sector
IPIM goes beyond the traditional academic scope, providing attendees with a deep understanding of decision-making processes in the private sector and the societal impact of biomedical research. The participants have an opportunity to learn about experiences of both, startups in the medical field, as well as larger companies that strive to remain entrepreneurial and develop novel solutions for the market.

Business Workshops
In these workshops, students practice developing novel business ideas based on the scientific research. To do so they learn how to translate scientific invention into a value proposition for various stakeholders involved in the medical field, develop business models that would allow these inventions to become viable and sustainable businesses creating impact for the society. Along with the workshops, the participates collaborate with seasoned business coaches from the Groningen Business Generator, working together in groups to formulate compelling business proposals rooted in the cutting-edge research endeavors.

Final investor pitch
The highlight of the IPIM experience occurs on the final day when participants present their crafted group business proposals. This event takes the form of an investor pitch, where each group showcases its proposal in front of an expert jury. This immersive and practical approach to learning equips students with valuable skills and a real-world perspective on the intersection of innovation, medicine, and industry dynamics.

Course leader

Ariel Zomerdijk & Freek van der Spoel

Target group

The Industry Perspectives on Innovative Medicine Summer School is open to advanced undergraduate students in the biomedical sciences and master students engaged in biomedical research.

It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English .