Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Healthcare
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Students can consult their doubts at the end of each class. For consultations outside class hours, an appointment must be made in advance via email.
Introduction
In the event that the health authorities decree a new period of confinement due to the evolution of the health crisis caused by COVID-19, the faculty will communicate in a timely manner the possible effects on the methodologies and training activities, as well as on the evaluation systems.
The healthcare sector is in full transformation; innovation and technological disruption are an everyday topic of discussion. Artificial intelligence, 3D Printing, virtual reality, augmented reality, 5G, offer solutions to major problems and give new ways to improve the patient experience. In this course, students will identify a current problem to find an innovative solution through a design process:
Need study, user and market study, prototyping, business model and scalability. The final objective of the course will be to present the developed solutions in a DemoDay in front of investors and/or stakeholders.
Pre-course requirements
Some materials in English will be used in class.
Objectives
The main objective of this subject is to simulate the process of creating a new company/startup in the health sector achieving the basic knowledge needed to start an innovative entrepreneurship project.
Specific objectives:
- To know the main disruptive technologies that are currently revolutionizing the health sector.
- Identify and quantify a real need in the health sector.
- Conduct interviews with the people involved in the need.
- Prototype an innovative solution using notions of design thinking and user experience (UX).
- Creating a sustainable business model for the proposed solution.
- Eloquently present the value proposition and the solution to investors and/or stakeholders
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB02 - Students must know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competences that are usually demonstrated through the creation and defence of arguments and the solving of problems within their field of study.
- CG01 - Capacity for critical and creative thinking, and capacity to investigate and adopt a scientific and ethical approach in distinct professional settings.
- CG02 - The ability to make critical and well-founded judgements and assessments as part of the decision-making process.
- CG07 - The ability to adapt to the setting, task or context, handle new tasks and responsibilities and generate processes of change.
- CG10 - Sensitivity to the needs and expectations of others.
- CG13 - The ability to use information and communication technologies for distinct purposes.
- CT02 - The capacity to solve problems.
- CT04 - The capacity to work in a team
- CT07 - The capacity to learn autonomously
- CT09 - The ability to communicate adequately, both orally and in writing
Learning outcomes of the subject
The student at the end of the course will have a broad vision of the world of entrepreneurship in the health sector and innovation. They will know real examples of projects and innovations that are being carried out in the sector and will know how to distinguish between the different technologies on the rise. You will learn about the process of creating new innovative companies, acquiring skills also in the process of design and prototyping of new technological solutions.
Syllabus
- Block 1: Context - Real examples of technological innovation in the health sector. Startups. Telematic conversation with a real entrepreneur.
- Block 2: Technology and Innovation - Introduction to artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality (VR, AR), Blockchain. Special guest AI.
- Block 3: Entrepreneurship 1.0
o How to choose an idea for entrepreneurship?
o Market and stakeholder research.
o Interviews to users, prescribers and customers.
o Identifying the need.
o Public speaking 1.0 - Elevator pitch.
o Presentation 1. Identified need.
- Block 4: Solution design
o Prototyping
o Business model canvas
o User journey map
o Pill: Negotiation
- Block 5: Business model and financing
o Pill: Crowdfunding and non-traditional financing
o Public/private investment
o Business model and project sustainability
o SWOT
- Block 6: Presentation - Pitch
o Oratory 1.2 - Presentation of the entrepreneurial idea
Teaching and learning activities
In person
At the beginning of the course each student will choose one of the three challenges proposed by the teacher to find a possible innovative solution to the problem that can potentially become a real company/project. Students may also propose a need to be solved if they prefer.
During the course each student will create a presentation Deck of his/her innovative solution that can be presented to an investor. Partial progress submissions and oral presentations will be made periodically.
The course will end with an oral presentation before a jury made up of investors and/or industry stakeholders who will evaluate the presentations.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The final grade of the course will be calculated by adding the grades of:
20% - Partial submissions and oral presentations.
40% - Submission of the final Deck
30% - Final presentation of the business idea to the jury.
10% - Contributions, attendance and participation in class.
Beginning of classes: January 25.
Classes: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am to 10 am.
Demo Day (Final presentation in front of the jury): March 17.
Bibliography and resources
Operating manual for spaceship earth. Buckminster Fuller. Lars Muller. 2008
Thinking fast and slow. Daniel Kahneman. 1a Ed. Penguin books. 2011.
Steve Jobs – A biography. Walter Isaacson. 1a Ed. Simon ans Schuster 2011.
Evaluation period
- E1 05/04/2022 A04 08:00h
- E2 28/06/2022 A06 08:00h