The search for and development of new business areas is one of the most important organizational competencies for both established companies and startups.The constantly changing business environment increases the pressure to innovate on firms across all industries. Simultaneously, growing market competition forces companies to decrease costs in order to ensure longterm survival and growth. This dilemma calls for new and efficient strategies to innovate and to develop and sustainably exploit new business areas. One approach to face this is the so called “Technological Competence Leveraging (TCL)”: it helps firms to exploit underutilized potential by finding new applications for their existing technological competencies.

In the E&I Project Course “New Business Development”, participants learn and train selected instruments, methods (such as TCL), and competencies necessary for identifying and developing new business opportunities in the technological context. In cooperation with our project partners (start-ups, leading Tech-Companies as well as research institutions such as Fraunhofer), participants will:

Students who have completed the E&I New Business Development course,

• Know and use methods in order to systematically and creatively search for new business opportunities
• Can use instruments for the efficient evaluation of competing business opportunities
• Are able to carry out detailed market and competitor analyses
• Create viable commercialization strategies for innovative technologies
• Successfully manage innovative projects (i.e. unclear and poorly structured)
• Gather fundamental learnings in professional teamwork
• Can manage external stakeholders (professional interaction with project partners) and
• Prepare complex issues (and project results) in a structured and understandable report and can present them convincingly

As the interaction with other students as well as external stakeholders is an integral part of this course, active participation in-person is important.

Students must attend at least 80% of all classes and events to successfully complete the course. However, due to their importance in reaching the course goals, 100% attendance is required for the literature test, kick-off, mid-term and final presentations as well as the E&I Touchdown event. In case of absence due to illness for the literature test, an alternative exam (written or oral) will be provided to the student. For the kickoff, absences (up to maximum of 1,5h) due to a scheduled written exam at WU can be excused if the course instructors are notified with a proof of examination before the kickoff.

In general, all absences in the course must be notified to the course instructors via email (if possible in advance) and confirmation (for example a medical certificate, or in case of an exam a note confirming the date of the written examination) must be submitted as soon as possible. Absences can result in additional compensation work to ensure the course's learning outcomes.


E&I New Business Development consists of classes for all students and individual team coaching sessions. There are four coaching sessions à approx. 1 hour. Each team individually schedules a time slot with the lecturers.

Furthermore, there will be a mid-term and a final presentation of the project. Each team individually schedules a time slot with the lecturer and the project partner within the time period of

• 02.05. - 15.05.2023 (mid-term presentation)
• 20.06 - 28.06.2023 (final presentation)

• Self-study (literature package)
• Teaching and discussion of theoretical concepts on two kick-off days (lecture, working on the project assignments, group discussions, teamwork)
• Group-based work on real and relevant projects in close cooperation with established startups, research institutes or industrial or tech companies under the supervision of the course instructors and practical coaches
• Workshops by external partners (experts working in the field of innovation management or new business development)
• Peer feedback
• Documentation and presentation of work progress and results

Performance is assessed based on individual as well as group work throughout the semester.

Grading system:

• 60% Group-based performance
• 10% Midterm presentation
• 10% Midterm report
• 20% Final presentation
• 20% Final report
   
• 40% Individual performance
• 10% Literature test
• 25% ongoing participation and project management
• 5% Reflection essay

Add. 1. Literature test

The literature test takes place on the WU campus on March 1st, 2023, from 8:00 - 9:00 am. The test examines the basic and in-depth knowledge that is absolutely necessary for the participation in the projects. You can find a literature list @learn with basic literature and course-specific additional literature for self-study. If you fail the literature test (less than 50%), you will be automatically transferred to the Analyst Support Program. As a student in the Analyst Support Program (ASP), you will work individually instead of working on a group-based project during the semester. The course instructors are responsible for the design of the program. In case of non-participation (e.g. due to illness) a medical certificate must be presented. For this purpose, a substitute exam will be offered.

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