MOØ240 Innovation and Entrepreneurship in practice in a regional context

Contents and structure

The main content of the course is a 10-week internship (full time workdays) in a startup firm or other relevant firm with R&D projects, entrepreneurial projects. During the internship, the student will interact closely with the entrepreneurial team/research team/manager. Furthermore, the student shall perform entrepreneurial tasks, such as market studies, investor analyses, pitching for investors, technology testing and prototyping, development of sustainable business models, analyses of responsibility in the innovation projects and other relevant tasks for the firm. Through practice-based learning, the student experience real entrepreneurial tasks and commercialization of technology and as such develop entrepreneurial competences and skills. We organize the internships in close collaboration with regional clusters and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Student entrepreneurs with a business idea of their own may work and have internship in their own student firm. Student entrepreneurs will be followed up closely, and mentors from the ecosystem and HVL will be assigned.

Exchange students will attend three introductory seminars about Norwegian society and economic life (three full days). These seminars will introduce: 1) Norwegian society, work-life and economic history, 2) Entrepreneurship and main industry clusters in Norway, characteristics and challenges, 3) Policies and programs promoting innovation and entrepreneurship (cluster programs, Incubators, entrepreneurship, regional innovation).

In parallel with the internships, students shall participate at three afternoon seminars with guest lecturers from industry. Here, we collaborate closely with the regional clusters and other regional actors, to organize the seminars.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

The student…

• Has advanced knowledge of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial practice in a regional context (Western Norway)
• Has advanced knowledge of the regional Ecosystems, interactions, actors and dynamic
• Has advanced knowledge about various organizational forms for innovation and entrepreneurship 
• Has advanced knowledge of various organizational forms for innovation and entrepreneurship

Skills

The student...

• Is able to identify important economic, environmental and/or social challenges among entrepreneurial firms in different sectors and in the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
• Is able to perform significant entrepreneurial tasks
• Is able to use own experiences with practice-based learning and to reflect critically of it
• Is able to consider various aspects of organization and leadership that promote or inhibit innovation and entrepreneurship. 

General competence

The student…

• Is able to analyze and reflect critically about the entrepreneurial practice in different industries, including sustainability and responsibility in innovation processes, entrepreneurial learning and strategies.
• Has knowledge about critical challenges among entrepreneurial firms and can perform entrepreneurial tasks
• Is able to apply theoretical knowledge into practice, and apply multi-disciplinary knowledge in cross-disciplinary tasks
• Is able to reflect about own cross-cultural learning
• Has insight in various framework conditions for innovation in the public and private sector

Entry requirements

Admission to the masters programme.

Recommended previous knowledge

Courses in entrepreneurship, innovation, business models, technology management at the bachelor or honours/master level

Teaching methods

The course will provide students with practice-based entrepreneurial learning in companies and innovation processes in a regional context. The student will be followed up by a mentor in their business and by the course coordinator / subject teachers. The learning is student-active and action-oriented, through collaboration with the entrepreneur / employees and through the execution of innovation and entrepreneurship tasks. The learning arena is the company in a larger incubator environment or an innovation project in an established company in the region. The students will also attend an afternoon seminar once a week, where guest lecturers from the regional business / public sector present various cases and applied understandings of regional practice and corporate practice. At the seminars, students are expected to be active and ask questions, participate in discussions and reflections on topics for the seminars. Subject teachers also contribute to the seminars by facilitating dialogue and discussions, in addition to linking the discussions to relevant literature / theory.

The founder of the internship company or project manager for the innovation project will act as a mentor and give the student oral feedback on how to solve the innovation and entrepreneurship tasks, improvement points, personal mastery and development (conversations in 3rd, 6th and 9th week). At the end of the internship period, the mentor must prepare a written certificate for the internship student.

Students must write a log / diary during the internship period about experiences and reflections they make during the internship period. Students will write one reflection report on their own entrepreneurial learning / practice. The course ends with an oral exam focusing on regional entrepreneurial practice and own entrepreneurial learning.

During the internship period, students will participate in groups in two compulsory reflection sessions. The meetings are held in the afternoon (2 hours). The first is with the whole class, the second in groups of 4-6 students. The first reflection session will be an introductory seminar on reflection in practical learning, including theoretical analysis tools to strengthen the level of reflection and concrete guidance for reflection writing, writing logs, etc. ("reflective writing"). The second reflection session will be carried out in the second half of the internship / internship period. All students receive individual guidance on a draft reflection report.

Compulsory learning activities

The following mandatory work requirements must be fulfilled in order for the candidate to present him/herself for examination:

- Compulsory internship in the startup/firm. Full working days (37,5 h) in 10 weeks.

- Compulsory participation at afternoon seminars

- Compulsory participation at two seminars on reflection and reflective writing

Course requirements are valid the examination semester and one following semester.

Assessment

Assessment is based on the submission of one written assignment (40 %) and one oral exam (60%).

The student shall write one reflection report about own entrepreneurial learning and cross-cultural learning, or how to organize for innovation and entrepreneurship (10-12 pages).

The reflection report counts for 40 % of total assessment.

Individual oral exam - 40 minutes which counts 60 % of total assessment.

The written assignment must be completed two weeks after the internship and should be submitted digitally.

Grading scale A-F

Examination support material

None

More about examination support material

Course reductions

• MSB107 - Innovasjon og entreprenørskap i praksis - Reduction: 20 studypoints