Business Start-up Project - 2021 entry

The module marks the culmination of your learning on the Engineering and Entrepreneurship degree by bringing together the skills you have gained at the University to enable you to develop and launch a new enterprise in the form of a business start-up. You have already successfully researched, written and pitched your idea to the Boyden Enterprise Board, the module now centers on the development of your idea and applying it to the entrepreneurial process in order to create a tangible new venture. The module will give you a pragmatic insight into the processes and systems important in business model generation (from idea creation through to implementation), and into improving the probability of success.

You will be based in the ‘Hack Space’ in the Innovation Centre with access to other creative spaces on and off the campus, such as the Science Park, and be part of a dynamic learning environment, with the opportunity to work alongside other high-technology businesses undertaking research and development.  You will be assigned a Mentor from industry in addition to an Academic Tutor from Engineering and be supported by the Business School and the Innovation Centre team.

By the end of this module you will have set up and be running your own business. You will understand what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, have gained valuable experience through your own start-up and those of your peers, learnt important lessons on failure dealing with barriers and set-backs and developed a network of contacts from industry and alumni. 

Note successful completion of the module is not tied to the success of your business, instead it is based on your engagement with the process and your critical reflection, whatever the outcome.

This is a constituent module of one or more degree programmes which are accredited by a professional engineering institution under licence from the Engineering Council. The learning outcomes for this module have been mapped to the output standards required for an accredited programme, as listed in the current version of the Engineering Council’s ‘Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes’ document (AHEP-V3).

A full list of the referenced outcomes is provided online: http://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/emps/studentinfo/subjects/engineering/accreditation/

The AHEP document can be viewed in full on the Engineering Council’s website, at http://www.engc.org.uk/

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge: G1p, G1m, G3p, G3m, SM2p, SM2m

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge: EA1m-EA6m, D1m-D8m, EP1m-EP10m

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge: G2p, G2m, G4p, G4m

No formal teaching on the module as it is entirely student-led

Basic reading:

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Web based and Electronic Resources:

Other Resources:

Innovation Centre Hack Space, Science Park

Reading list for this module: