Biomedical Entrepreneurship
| Module title | Biomedical Entrepreneurship |
|---|---|
| Module code | CSC2029 |
| Academic year | 2026/7 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Maarten Koeners (Convenor) Professor Benjamin Housden (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 60 |
|---|
Module description
This module introduces you to the fundamental principles of biomedical enterprise, innovation, and entrepreneurship. You will engage in real-life case studies and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset to solve problems to create impactful solutions. This includes market validation, pitching of solutions, and producing a business case report. By working collaborative and applying design thinking, playful learning and storytelling you will gain key skills to identify problems, explore disruptions, and overcome obstacles with confidence. Whether you aspire to drive innovation within established organizations or launch your own venture, this module will prepare you to apply innovation and entrepreneurship within your future career.
Module aims - intentions of the module
You will learn how to become entrepreneurs after graduation or to find employment in the biomedical industry. You will both develop and understand an entrepreneurial mind-set while gaining the skills needed to work in business or establish a company in the biomedical sector. You will gain an understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset, which is central to identifying and acting on market opportunities. We will introduce basic knowledge of related areas such as intellectual property and directorship. You will develop key skills needed to gain support for entrepreneurial ideas such as pitching, market analysis and developing a business case. A blended approach utilising online resources and workshopping will be used. The aim of the online resources is to introduce and build an understanding of biomedical entrepreneurship practice. The series of workshops are aimed to engage the participant with building their entrepreneurial mind-set through collaborative group work and the utilisation of design, play and story.
Graduate attributes:as part of this module, you will develop the key employability skills of entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills relevant for innovating within the biomedical sector.
The module aligns with sustainable development goals (SDGs) SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) ensuring knowledge into physiology and healthy lives along with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Critically evaluate and reflect on the characteristics of the entrepreneurial mind-set
- 2. Gain pitching skills and experience of presenting ideas informed by market needs
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Practice the collaborative entrepreneurial process of ideation, reflection and iteration of ideas through design, play and story
- 4. Gain the ability to identify, scope and address relevant needs of the biomedical sector
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Critically reflect upon personal entrepreneurial skills and practices
- 6. Gain problem-solving skills and apply these to identify gaps in the market and potential solutions
Syllabus plan
The module will be delivered through a combination of online content and in-person workshops which will include case studies of biomedical entrepreneurship, highlighting real-world applications, while market validation and product demonstration experiences will strengthen their ability to develop entrepreneurial skills relevant for the biomedical sector.
- Introduction of the module, including the foundational understanding of entrepreneurship within the biomedical sector, combining theoretical knowledge with practical applications.
- Project launch, where you initiate the entrepreneurial process including formulating a challenge-led problem statement and addressing the practice of being comfortable with uncertainty.
- From problem to solution, including a design thinking process of ideation, prototyping, testing, reflection and iteration.
- Market validation, including drug development and business case reporting, equipping students with the skills to assess commercial viability
- Core entrepreneurial concepts, including mindset and creativity in innovation, intellectual property (IP) and examples of innovation and entrepreneurship within the biomedical sector.
Accessibility Statement:
As part of this module, you will undertake workshop sessions that are of 2 hrs in duration. Breaks are possible, and students are able to leave the teaching space for short periods. These workshop sessions will be undertaken as a small cohort (~30) and will include activities as a group, in pairs or smaller groups, with students contributing to associated group discussions.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 126 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | In-person workshops aimed at skill and knowledge- development (11x 2h) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 2 | Online clinic; Coaching for formative business report |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Reading and revision of workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | 15 | Preparation for formative assessments |
| Guided Independent Study | 61 | Preparation for summative assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informal, reflective feedback during workshops | 1-6 | Oral | |
| Draft business report, peer-assessed during workshops | 4-6 | Written/oral | |
| Market validation, peer assessed during workshop | 1,2,4,6 | Written/oral | |
| Demonstration, peer assessed during workshop | 2,4-6 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written business case | 50 | 2000 words | 2-6 | Written |
| Market validation and product demonstration | 50 | Recorded video and/or in class presentation | 1-6 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written business case (50%) | Written business case | 2-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Market validation and product demonstration (50%) | Market validation and product demonstration | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Instead of group class presentations, the re-assessment will be based on an individually recorded video.
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons that are approved by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. If deferred, the format and timing of the re-assessment for each of the summative assessments is detailed in the table above ('Details of re-assessment'). The mark given for a deferred assessment will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral - if you have failed the module (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) and the module cannot be condoned, you will be required to complete a re-assessment for each of the failed components on the module. The format and timing of the re-assessment for each of the summative assessments is detailed in the table above ('Details of re-assessment'). If you pass the module following re-assessment, your module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- tbd
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Module ELE page containing formative quizzes and access to on-line learning resources
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Case studies on relevant activities from the department
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 13/05/2024 |
| Last revision date | 31/03/2025 |