Ateneo - UPO

The course provides an integrated overview of innovation processes in life sciences and biotechnology, from the exploitation of research results to their transformation into products, businesses, and market opportunities. The course will address the main tools for innovation management, technology transfer, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, financing, economic evaluation, and the development of new business ventures.

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
John Carreyrou
Knoft publishing,
Winner of the 2018 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award

The Lean Startup
Eric Ries
Crown Publishing

100 Great Businesses (and the minds behind them)
Emily Ross & Angus Holland
Source Books Publishing

Angel (how to invest in technology startups)
Jason Calacanis
Harper Business Publishing

Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change,
Joe Tidd, John Bessant
March 2009
John Wiley & Sons Inc

Innovation and Entrepreneurship
John Bessant Joe Tidd
June 2011
John Wiley & Sons Inc;

La Gestione Del Trasferimento Tecnologico - Strategie, Modelli E Strumenti
Andrea Piccaluga, Massimiliano Granieri, Giuseppe Conti
1 edizione (25 agosto 2011)

Project Management: dall'idea all'attuazione. Una guida pratica per il successo
Marion E. Haynes
Editore: Franco Angeli (11 ottobre 2012)

Commercializing Successful Biomedical Technologies: Basic Principles for the Development of Drugs, Diagnostics and Devices
Shreefal S. Mehta
Cambridge University Press;

Building Biotechnology: Biotechnology Business, Regulations, Patents, Law, Policy and Science
Yali Friedman
Editore: Logos Press; 4. Auflage.

The module is 2 CFU for a total of 16 hours of lectures. The objectives of the Management of Innovation and Technology Transfer are to: * Introduce the problems in managing research projects and innovative life science projects * Define how to create value of innovative projects * Analyze the different ways of exploiting the value of innovative projects licensing or launching a startup * Understand the challenges in managing innovation * Familiarize with the clinical trial process and how to increase the value through them

Good understanding of English

Powerpoint presentation and pdf articles
Some external speakers will be invited to give a talk to a specific topic

Alternative readings chosen by the students Highly suggested to read the John Carreyrou “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup” Knoft publishing, winner of the 2018 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award or the 2019 documentary "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley". Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) can request specific services and tools by visiting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentesse-e-studenti-condizione-di-fragilità-disabilità-dsa-bes. Students with disabilities, SLD, or SSEN, after contacting the University staff, can contact the professor in charge of the course regarding the specific exam modalities and educational aspects.

The exam is written with 20 multiple-choice questions, one of which is correct, on the DIR Esami platform. You may use your own computer, and a computer station will be available in the computer room for those who request one. Each correct answer is worth 1.5, so if you answer all the questions correctly, you achieve a maximum score of 30. To obtain a passing grade of 18, you must answer 12 questions correctly.

Technology Innovation Management
Definition of research, invention, and innovation; analysis of the innovation process and its different phases; the market pull and the technology push for product innovation; from academia to a company and the valley of death; the definition of entrepreneurship

Project Management
Definition of a project and a team; criteria selection of a project, the phases of a project, 12 steps in project management, challenges in managing projects and teams; the project life cycle; basic elements of project management (PM); analysis of factors involved in PM; SMART goals; conflict resolution Importance of the role of the Project Manager in dealing with conflicts and conflict resolution; the concept of stakeholders; project planning and tools; the GANTT chart; the Work Breakdown Structure; examples of PM.

Technology (e)Valuation
The concept of technology valuation and evaluation.
Financing the startup: angels, Corporate Ventures, and Venture Capiitalists The concept of ownership dilution
The exit strategy: when and how it is done
Valuation models of an invention: The cost based approach, the market method, and the discounted cash flow method.

Intellectual Property and its Exploitation
Overview on patents and the process to patent an invention, analysis, and discussion on requirements for patentability.
Definition of the technology transfer process, analysis of best practice for a successful transfer of a technology, overview of contracts and agreements in the transfer of a technology, review of the patenting process in general and in different geographical areas (PCT, Italy, Europe, USA)

The business plan
Overview of Business Plan and its different sections; the elevator pitch and the presentation Intro to the concept of Business Plan (BP)
Different purposes of a BP Different models of BPs
Description and in-depth analysis of the different sections of a business plan, specifically: Executive Summary, Company description Management team Product(s) Market Competition, and Marketing activities

The Business Model Canvas and the Lean Startup model
Overview of the Business Model Canvas (BMC); analysis of the 9 components of the BMC; examples of BMC; definition of the Lean Start-up and the minimum viable product, the concept of the Lean Startup

Overview of the clinical trial process
Clinical development and clinical trials, valorization of a molecule via the clinical process

The Dublin descriptors will be the terms of assessment: D1 - KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: The student will achieve a sufficient understanding of the issues of innovation management and technology transfer processes to understand the processes underlying the valorization of scientific results. D2 - ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: The student will acquire the ability to identify and, ultimately, manage the fundamental elements of technology transfer. D3 - JUDGMENT ABILITY: The student will acquire the basic knowledge to analyze an innovation from an entrepreneurial perspective and to identify and understand the key components of a business plan. D4 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS: The student will acquire the ability to disseminate the knowledge acquired using specific and appropriate vocabulary in order to be able to interact professionally and competently in the academic and subsequently working environments. D5-LEARNING ABILITY: Finally, the student will have to acquire the ability to analyze, interpret and plan technology transfer activities and start-up of new businesses and understand the dynamics and challenges related to the development and commercialization of innovative solutions in the life sciences sector.