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, an innovation project in a company, or in an incubator/cluster. During the internship, the student will interact closely with the entrepreneurial- or management team. 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 experiences real entrepreneurial tasks and commercialization of technology and as such develop entrepreneurial competences and skills. We organize the internship program in close collaboration with regional clusters and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Exchange students will attend one introductory lecture, one literature seminar, 4 seminars about 1) Norwegian history, society and economic life, 2) Industry clusters in Norway and cluster theory 3) Institutional trust and innovation, 4) Innovation seminar. Students will participate in 2 reflective sessions in groups. In addition, we encourage students to attend regional events, workshops, conferences about innovation, sustainability, technology relevant for the entrepreneurial ecosystem and industry clusters and which is of relevance to their internships.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

The student…

• Has advanced knowledge of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial practice in a regional context (Western Norway)
• Has advanced knowledge of how to develop and strengthen entrepreneurial learning through practice and reflection
• Has knowledge of factors promoting or inhibiting innovation and entrepreneurship in diverse contexts (e.g. startups, innovation departments in larger companies or incubators/clusters)

Skills

The student...

• Is able to identify important economic, environmental and/or social challenges related to innovation and commercialization in startups or established companies in public/private sectors
• Is able to perform significant innovation and entrepreneurial tasks (commercialization) in startups or in established companies.
• 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 entrepreneurial practice, including sustainability and responsibility in innovation processes and entrepreneurial learning
• Has knowledge about critical challenges in entrepreneurial firms and can perform entrepreneurial tasks in a startup/innovation project
• 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

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 startups or innovation projects in companies in a regional context. The student will be assigned a mentor in their internship firm and supervisors from the University. The learning is student-active and action-oriented, through collaboration with the entrepreneurial team / employees and through the execution of innovation and entrepreneurship tasks. The learning arena is the startup and the larger incubator environment or an innovation project in an established company in the region.

The international students will attend one introductory lecture about entrepreneurial learning, cross-cultural learning, reflection and reflective writing, one student active literature seminar, 3 seminars about Norwegian history, society, and economy, and one innovation seminar together with Norwegian students. All seminars are student active, where students are expected to participate in discussions.

The entrepreneur in 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 shall write one reflection report on their own entrepreneurial learning and cross-cultural learning.

During the internship period, students will participate in two reflection sessions as a group guided by a teacher. All students receive individual supervision on a draft of the reflection report.

Compulsory learning activities

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

- Compulsory internship in the startup/firm. 4,5 days week in 10 weeks. Half day assigned to reflection, seminars and reading literature.

- Compulsory participation at 1 introductory lecture, 1 literature seminar, 3 seminars about Norway, 1 seminar together with Norwegian students.

- Compulsory participation in 2 reflective group sessions

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

Assessment

Assessment is based on the submission of one written assignment (100 %).

The student shall write one reflection report about their own entrepreneurial learning and cross-cultural learning, ca 15 pages.

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

Grading scale A-F

Examination support material

Written assignment: All

More about examination support material

Course reductions

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