| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
N/A
N/A
•To introduce students to enterprise and entrepreneurship in relation to biomedical and pharmaceutical
industries.
•To examine and compare small and start up enterprises, including University spin outs alongside large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
•To introduce aspects of finance, intellectual property rights, business law and marketing for business development.
•To enable opportunity spotting in biosciences/health problems
•To utilise bioscience knowledge to solve bioscience problems.
•To develop student’s enterprise awareness, teamwork skills and abilities with emphasis on employability skills.
The module will include:
•Comparing innovation through university spin outs, Small-Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) and large pharma and biotech
•Identifying bioscience or healthcare problems, or areas for improvement, and generating solutions/improvements
•Business feasibility planning Team working
•Financing the initial research into an early-stage idea Market research and marketing
•Legal issues: Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and business type/structure Social, political and ethical considerations
•Enterprise development and innovative problem solving.
On completion of the module, you will be able to:
• Identify a bioscience or healthcare problem and offer reasoned and researched solutions
• Relate the cost of research and development, to the finances associated with an early-stage business
• Distinguish between the different and most appropriate types of intellectual property
• Anticipate the market forces involved with new products and services
• Compare the legal structures of businesses
• Recognize the differences and similarities between various types and sizes of business
On completion of the module, you will be able to:
• Propose strategies to solve a bioscience or healthcare problem
• Evaluate market potential using appropriate tools
• Research and interpret scientific and market data to provide a realistic proposition
• Demonstrate capacity to work effectively as part of a team
• Research, recognize, and evaluate intellectual property rights
• Reflect upon pitch feedback and demonstrate the ability to modify your written approach as a result
• Prepare a business plan proposal
• Provide a team oral presentation in the style of a crowdfunding pitch
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Non-sync online (Business Bites recordings and discussion boards) |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Personal research for pitch & business plan proposal |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 7 | 1:00 | 7:00 | PIP Business enterprise topics including guest speakers |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Pre-reading and tasks, research and post-session consolidation of sources. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | PIP |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | PIP Team crowdfunding presentation pitches |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Team research and preparation meetings |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | PIP Expert surgery (team drop-ins). |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 4 | 1:00 | 4:00 | Sync online. Drop-in Q&A sessions (groups book 15-minute slots within the sessions) |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 45 | 1:00 | 45:00 | Private study over course of module. |
| Total | 100:00 |
This module brings together bioscience knowledge and awareness and applies this in the context of theoretical commercialisation. Seminar style interactive sessions will enable applied enterprise skills development.
Pre-entry exercises or tasks, and reading prior to taught sessions provides context and deeper understanding. Exposure to industry experts, entrepreneurial experts, business sector specialists and alumni provides a real-world grounding for the module tasks and assessments.
Students must use initiative and organisational skills to enable an applied understanding of business process and innovation. The drop-in surgery sessions allow teams to iterate and investigate their ideas in greater depth and consider aspects of their bioscience problem. Collaboration as a team enables greater gathering of resources and breadth of discussion, whilst practicing teamworking and negotiation.
The PIP and online exercises and activities enable students to develop their business strategy and practice teamwork, negotiation, problem solving, decision making and presentation skills whilst also receiving constructive feedback from facilitators.
The formative pitch provides an opportunity for students to develop their enterprise abilities, subject specific knowledge and key skills and give and receive constructive feedback to aid development of the summative individual business plan.
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 1 | M | 100 | Business plan report (individual, 1500 words, max 6 sides A4) based on team idea but developed following pitch feedback |
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | PIP. Crowdfunding style team pitch; pre-recorded - team pitches (10 min max). Module facilitators and peers watch pitch recordings. |
Students work in teams to recognise a bioscience/health problem and to develop a solution using enterprise skills and business awareness. The online drop-in surgery sessions allow formative feedback on the idea through facilitator/expert discussion and feedback. Assignments provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate enterprise abilities, subject specific knowledge and key skills. The formative team pitch allows qualitative feedback which is then used by individuals to inform and develop their individual business plan proposal.
Allowing the students to pre-record their pitches enables them to articulate what they know and understand, rather than just remember. By making the format similar to a crowdfunding pitch this suits the video element. The ability to rehearse and listen back to recordings allows students more confidence and freedom to express their ideas. The recording is played back to a peer audience for constructive feedback upon the idea and pitch. Module facilitators also provide feedback and ask questions about their pitch; which will aid students in developing their idea independently for the business plan proposal.
The written business plan proposal will allow students to independently demonstrate their adaptability following the feedback, and to articulate their enterprise abilities, subject specific knowledge and commercial awareness.
External Contributors:
QuantumDX
PB Bioscience
Definition IP
Histocyte
Access Your Life
Plus a range of companies or independent consultants depending on availability.
Organisations may vary annually.
Disclaimer: The information contained within the Module Catalogue relates to the 2022/23 academic year. In accordance with University Terms and Conditions, the University makes all reasonable efforts to deliver the modules as described. Modules may be amended on an annual basis to take account of changing staff expertise, developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Module information for the 2023/24 entry will be published here in early-April 2023. Queries about information in the Module Catalogue should in the first instance be addressed to your School Office.