Have you ever thought about what it takes to transform your world-class research into a disruptive start-up? Have you ever wondered how exactly to take your science from the lab to the first investment round? If you can say yes to one of these questions, then BII’s Summer School could be for you.
Following the success of last year, BioInnovation Institute (BII) and CBS Executive are once again collaborating to host our life science entrepreneurship course- Summer School in August 2022.
You can apply for the summer school here.
The purpose of the BII Summer School is to provide young European postdocs and researchers with an extensive overview of the key aspects of commercialization and planning of innovative projects within the fields of bio industrials, health tech and therapeutics. In the one-week program, participants will get a chance to put their learnings into practice through hands-on experience and meet highly skilled venture capitalists from BII’s network.
“It’s crucial that the participants get hands-on experience through casework and pitching. That is what will allow us to fully guide the participants through the entire commercialization process which entails knowing what drives innovation, understanding intellectual property rights, being able to develop the key components of a business plan and give captivating investor pitches”, explains Bio Studio Lead at BII, Louise Clemmensen who manages the BII Summer School in collaboration with CBS Executive.
World-class keynote speakers
Various skilled contributors from academia and industry will share their knowledge and expertise this year. Prof. Palle Høy Jakobsen, Author and Associate Professor & Study Director at Copenhagen Business School, will provide valuable academic insights on the commercialization process and will drive the course during the whole week. Steffen Nielsen, Senior Market Access Director at Coloplast will share insights on Market Access and Payer systems in the US and EU, and Pernille Winding Gojkovic, CEO at Høiberg will share her knowledge on patent strategy, among many others.
“The program we have created is unique and compelling because it combines the expertise from world-class lecturers with the hands-on experience of BII’s Business Development team and high-level industry professionals”, says Louise Clemmensen.
40 available spots
There are 40 available spots for the BII Summer School which will be hosted at BII’s facilities in central Copenhagen to show the participants the entrepreneurial environment of an incubator and introduce the participants to some of BII’s portfolio start-ups.
To apply, one must compile a cover letter with a clear motivation for participation, an abstract describing the science that could potentially form the basis for a business case, a short CV and a recommendation letter from a supervisor, mentor, or head of a department and submit it no later than June 5th.
As applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, BII recommends applying early to secure your spot.
What’s in it for you?
Once participants have finished the BII Summer School they will be capable of applying different commercialization models for different types of scientific innovations and be a strong dialogue partner to professionals in the translational research ecosystem such as technology transfer professionals, patent attorneys and investors.
“Coming from academia, you tend to focus primarily on science and technology, but it has become apparent during this week that you need to have a commercial perspective already from day one. I believe that for many who dream about bringing their research ideas to market, it has been unique to get all these insights from brilliant speakers,” says Arvi Jõers, an Associate Professor at the University of Tartu who traveled from Estonia to Copenhagen to be a part of last year’s Summer School.
BII expects to attract young researchers interested in entrepreneurship from local and European universities and provide them with a good understanding of how they can begin to incorporate the translational mindset into their research.
To learn more about and apply for the BII Summer School 2022, click here.
Please note that the deadline for application is June 5th.