PhD and Postgraduate course on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
in Academic Settings - Theory and practice for creating a new
technology based business
This course is made possible by a generous support from the Sten Gustafsson
Foundation.
The PhD and postgraduate course is primarily intended for faculty and doctoral
students in science and engineering, and in the medical/pharmaceutical/biomedical
academic fields. The course is intended for participants who want to get a basic
understanding of modern theories of innovation and entrepreneurship at the level of
the firm/venture and also wish to acquire some “get going” skills in starting to exploit
a new technology by setting up a venture project and firm. The course is focusing on
tools and theories useful for starting a new technology based business (Module A 1 &
A2, 3 Academic Credits) and essential practice in doing so (Modules B1-3, 4.5
Academic Credits). In the course there will be a focus on using the technology of the
participants own research group or setting as a vehicle for learning and creating a
tentative new business ventures. Students can enroll for part A or part A and B. The
Modules A are limited to 16 students while Modules B are limited to 12 students
working in groups of three.
The course will start during February 2008 and end during in April/May 2008, see the
time line below.
Your application;
Participation in this course is free of charge. Send your application (see below) to
Sören Sjölander, Innovationsteknik/Center for Business Innovation, Chalmers;
soren.sjolander@chalmers.se. Please also write on the subject line of your email:
“Application for participation in Innovation and Entrepreneurship”.
Course outline and contents;
This course deals with creation and development of new businesses in established and
new firms. The overriding aim is to give the students a basic understanding of the
theories and the practical ability to start manage core issues of business creation in
established firms as well as in new ventures. Particular attention is given to
entrepreneurial business development. More specifically, the course provides:

Conceptual and analytical tools to understand, analyze and manage critical
aspects of the creation of new businesses

Actionable knowledge and basic skills in entrepreneurship
Module A 1; This part is a 1,5 day Seminar focusing important firm/venture level
theories and tools associated with innovation and entrepreneurship. The seminar gives
a basic understanding of such activities in a science and engineering setting.
 Academic entrepreneurship – capitalism and the technology entrepreneur
 Third generation universities – prospects and challenges
 Markets dynamics and new technology
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Diffusion and adoption of innovations
Marketing and sales of technology based products and services
Sources of capital and the capitalization process
Creation of effective innovative and entrepreneurial teams
Effectuation and process work
Home work; mini-paper
Several external lecturers and seminar participants from industry, venture capital and
academia will share their experience and knowledge from building new businesses
based on technology.
Module A2; This module is a 1 day seminar focusing tools and theories for business
modeling and planning as well as on entrepreneurial process learning by which an
entrepreneur finds out what business model(s) that can be used to exploit a certain
technology given limited resources.
 Business models and strategy
 Entrepreneurial learning
 The process of creating and developing a venture
 Intellectual Property Rights
 Business planning
 Presentation and discussion of project report
Modules B1-3 consists of three 1 + ½ day workshops which are designed to guide the
participants through three workshop with home work assignments. This module will
focus on the first steps in the identification of business opportunities as well as
development of an action plan, based on specific technology skills of participants in
the research groups.
 B1 techno-economic exploration - identification and selection of business
opportunities – group formation and homework assignment
 B2 customer centric business modeling – home work assignment
 B3 business planning, venture capital and staffing – home work assignment
 A concluding ½ day panel seminar with external panel guests from business,
academia, venture capital, Chalmers Innovation, Chalmers Invest, Sahlgrenska
Academy and Sahlgrenska Science Park.
Optional program;
An optional 5 day study trip to Silicon Valley, CA, USA may be organized if there is
a keen interest. Such a study trip might include visits at local companies around the
Stanford area, a series of seminars and lectures by Stanford University faculty on
Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Course leader: Professor Sören Sjölander, Chalmers
Course co-leader Professor Thomas Hedner, The Sahlgrenska Academy
Applications:
The course is open for participants from any faculty and/or PhD students from
Chalmers and the Sahlgrenska Academy or with a similar University background. The
course is free of charge. The A module seminars can include 16 participants while the
B module workshops can host 12 participants in 4 groups. For participation in the B
module workshops applicants must supply a technologically based potential business
opportunity.
Please send an application to participate stating:
Application for Modules A and B
- Why I want to participate
- About myself
- Brief CV
Additional information for application for participation in Modules B:
- Why you want to do Module B
- 1 page summary on the (1) technology, what it can do, and (2) what business
opportunities you might see: products/services? For what customers What
customer benefits? Give and explain the “guesstimated” economic potential of
the opportunities you see.
Credits for PhD students
For PhD students it is up to the student her or himself to discuss with tutors and
academic leaders how many credits can be included in the study plan of each PhD
student. The amount of credits recommended is 3 credits for the A-module and 4.5
credits for the B modules (see above).
Time line:
Applications should be sent (se above) before December 15, 2007.
Participants will be informed acceptance and participation or decline before January
15, 2008.
The course will be run according to the schedule below:
Module A1 Thursday January 31 13.00 - Friday February 1, 2008, 16.00 at Chalmers
Module A2 Friday February 22, 2008
Oral exam (for PhD students, module A) Friday February 29, 2008
Module B1 Thursday March 6, 2008
Module B2 Friday March 28, 2008
Module B3 Friday April 11, 2008
Panel seminar: Friday April 25, 2008
An optional Silicon Valley trip (has to be paid by participants) end of April –
beginning of May. This trip will eventually be co-organized to include a set of local
serial entrepreneurs, Venture Capitalists and faculty entrepreneurs and will provide a
nice opportunity for networking.
Literature
Books (will be supplied to PhD students free of charge)
Venture development:
Dorf, R.C., & Byers, T.H., “Technology ventures – from idea to enterprice”, MC
Graw – Hill, 2006, 2007 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Technology-Ventures-Enterprise-
Richard-Dorf/dp/0071259236/ref=sr_1_5/026-29168849073219?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193212886&sr=1-5
High Tech Marketing:
Moore G., McKenna R., Crossing the Chasm : Marketing and Selling High-Tech
Products to Mainstream Customers, Harper, New York, 1999,
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0066620023/qid=997367154/sr=2-2/0022942145-8814439
Papers (in pdf is free for faculty and PhD students)
Abernathy, W. and Utterback, J. (1978) "Patterns of Industrial Innovation",
Technology Review, Vol. 80, No. 7, pp. 40-47.
Anon., Monster Term Sheet . INC, 1990
Andrén, L., Magnusson, M., and Sjölander, S, (2003). Opportunistic Adaptation in
Start-Up Companies. Int. J. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Vol 3, No
5/6, pp. 546-562.
Andersson, B.; Positioning: The art of being first, Sanbergtrygg AB.
Berglund, H., Hellström, T., and Sjölander, S., (2007). Learning and venture capital:
The growth of venture knowledge, paper submitted for publication.
Bhidé A., ”Bootstrap Finance The art of start-up”, Harvard Business Review, Nov
Dec , 1992
Burgelman, R., A., and Välikangas, L., “Managing Internal Corporate Venturing
Cycles”, MIT Sloan Management Review, Summer 2005 Vol.46 NO.4.
Chesbrough H., and Rosenbloom R.S., (2002) The role of the business model in
capturing value from innovation: evidence from Xerox Corporation´s technology
spin-off companies, Industrial and Corporate Change, Vol. 11, pp 529-555
Drucker, P. 1985, “ Discipline of Innovation”, Harvard Business Review, May-June
1985, pp. 67-72
Drucker, P. (2005) “Managing Oneself”, Harvard Business Review, January 2005, pp.
100-109
Garvin (2004) “ What every CEO should know about New Business” Harvard
Business Review, September, 2004, pp 18-22.
Granstrand,O. and Sjölander, S. “Managing Innovation in Multi-technology
corporations”, Research Policy 1990,
Hellsröm, T. Sjölander S. (2005) “ Towards a theory of entrepreneurial learning,
Paper submitted for publication in “Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
O'Leary-Collins, M., (2005) A powerful business model for capturing innovation,
Management Services; Summer 2005; 49, 2; ABI/INFORM Global, pp 37-39
Porter, M. 1985, “ Technology and Competitive Advantage”, Journal of Business
Strategy, Winter 1985; 5, 60-78
Porter, M. 2001, “Strategy and the Internet”, Harvard Business Review, March 2001
Sarasvathy, S., (2001) “What makes entrepreneurs entrepreneurial?” (Effectuation),
paper submitted to Harvard Business Review, 2001
Vandenbemp and Dunn (2002), “A look at the Business Plan”, EVCA- European
Venture Capital Association
Wagner, A., (2006) Sales Management, Credit Union Magazine; Oct 2006; 72, 10;
pp 47-49
Zider., B. "How Venture Capital Works", Harvard Business Review, Nov.-Dec. 1998,
pp 131-140.