LLEB10300U Food Entrepreneurship: Designing New Business Opportunities in the Food Sector

Volume 2013/2014
Content

The aim of the course is for the students to develop their entrepreneurial skills and competences by working with a predefined idea (case story) to develop an idea into a final product with clear market share and a ready-to-go business plan. All case stories will be related to the food sector but can be based on food ingredients, equipment design, raw materials or new values in food production.

The course will consist of lectures on entrepreneurship and presentation of case stories at the beginning of the course. Students will then work in carefully designed groups (e.g. containing a student from each of the participating universities/international student to ensure competences within business, engineering and science, and thereby utilize knowledge from this diverse group of students) on a project about how to make the case story that they choose into a new business opportunity. The product of the group is a report including a business plan based on the chosen idea. Students will be introduced to the basic concepts of entrepreneurship, innovation and business development with emphasis on the distinctive features of the food industry, market shares and possible use of food technologies. Guest lecturers from industry and academia will provide inspiration for the project work developing the business plan on the case stories. Moreover, for initiating the project work a general introduction to the nature and basis behind the chosen case story will be provided each group, enabling you to fully understand the aspects of your idea. Finally, teachers will be available for clarifying questions.

As a student within the fields of Food Technology, Biotechnology, Biology, Business or something else entirely, you will have a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with innovation and entrepreneurship linked to the food industry and in close collaboration with other students from a range of different disciplines.

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Learning Outcome
After completing the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge:
• Understand the special entrepreneurial challenges in the food sector
• Identify and describe business opportunities for the chosen case story within the food sector
• Create a business plan for the chosen case story

Skills:
• Develop business ideas
• Develop business models
• Analyze markets for new food related ideas
• Investigate consumer preferences

Competences:
• Work effectively together in a group, utilizing the different competences of the group members
• Explain the nature of the chosen case story
• Launch the commercialization of a food product
• Prepare a business plan and defend it in an oral presentation
• Write a report containing the business plan developed for the case story identifying possibilities for further development
Relevant literature will be announced later.
The course is open for students (incl. MSc students) who have passed 100 ECTS points of their bachelor programme in Food science, Food technology, Biotechnology, Business or a related area
Before course begins: You may need to read material in advance of the course and will be advised of this in due time.
During the course, there will be lectures, company presentations, discussions and exercises related to case stories together with group project work and report writing.
This summer course is part of a joint initiative of the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Copenhagen Business School (CBS).

The Danish food industry is among the best in the world to use knowledge and technology in the development of new products. Such knowledge-based growth is important for the future business opportunities. This course will provide the students with the newest knowledge on entrepreneurship within food and students will learn how to commercialize good ideas related to food.

Whether you have ambitions of launching your own business or just want to spice up your academic profile with competencies in innovation and entrepreneurship, the summer course will provide ample opportunity to develop your skills and learn from the professionals through company presentations. By completing the course you will gain an understanding of and be able to present a plan for commercialization of an innovative product for the food industry.

Teaching will take part at both DTU and UCPH, Frb. Campus.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Exam Preparation
  • 9
  • Lectures
  • 35
  • Preparation
  • 23
  • Project work
  • 70
  • Total
  • 138
Credit
5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Oral examination, 20 min
The students will be evaluated on basis of a written assignment (group report containing the business plan developed during the 3 weeks) with clear indication of individual contributions presented orally by the joint group (10 min) and a following individual oral examination in a drawn exam question relating to curriculum and group report (10 min).
The joint oral presentation of the business plan is prepared in advance (1 day)

Weight: Group report 50%. Individual oral examination 50%.
Exam registration requirements
Min. 80 % presence during course.
Participation in group project work: Idea defined, report produced and shortly presented by the group.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment
See learning outcome