max. 24 participants
Registration Deadline: June 19th, 2023

Register now!

TU Berlin Summer & Winter School
+49 30 4472 0230
tubsummerschool(at)tubs.de​​​​​​​

Engineering Entrepreneurship introduces engineering students to the concepts and practices of technological entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurship. Using lectures, case studies, business plans, and student presentations, the course teaches life skills in entrepreneurial thought and action that students can utilize in starting technology companies or executing R&D projects in large companies.

Learning goals

Students will gain and demonstrate an understanding of the entrepreneurial thought process as applied to organizations ranging from startup to large, multinational companies through exercises that test the students’ proficiency in the key skills sets associated with starting and building technology-based entrepreneurial ventures.

Students will learn and demonstrate their understanding of the key attributes of technology entrepreneurs and the organizations they start and lead through team projects that mimic real world entrepreneurship.

Students will learn to function and thrive in multidisciplinary team environments while creating measurable value in meeting the needs of myriad stakeholders through team-based projects to create and promote a technology entrepreneurial venture.

Main course components

The course will be delivered weekly in a “Flipped Classroom” modality. Weekly lectures typically consisting of overviews of the weekly topics by the instructor will be pre-recorded and should be viewed prior to the scheduled class periods. Scheduled class periods will be utilized for activities, student teamwork, and team presentations. Sessions may also include guest speakers that exemplify technology entrepreneurship. Students should be prepared to bring their laptops to the class for participation in class activities.

The course is firmly presented in a “real-world” format, including students taking the roles of company founders and investors, creating a vision and execution plan for their company, and raising funds – exactly as they would in a true entrepreneurial endeavor.

The course consists of three main modules. The expected topics and/or activities to be covered each week in the course modules are summarized below. The actual weekly outline of topics and activities is subject to change from that indicated below at the course instructor’s discretion and will be reflected in the updated course schedule that students will have access to via the Canvas course website. The finalized course schedule will include weekly topics, reading requirements, assignment due dates, and dates for other course activities. The course is delivered along the following outline of major course modules:

1. Introduction to Entrepreneurship – Introduction to Technology Entrepreneurship and Technology Ventures, Attributes and Myths of Technology Entrepreneurs, Engineers as Entrepreneurs, Mindset of the Entrepreneurial Leader, Value Proposition Introduction.
2. Idea Generation and Feasibility Analysis – Entrepreneurial Idea Generation and Feasibility Analysis, Technology Commercialization Potential, Paths and Barriers from Idea to Market, Creating and Selling the Entrepreneurial Value Proposition, Assessing and Presenting the Opportunity.
3. Business Planning and Execution – Business Structuring and Strategy, Business Model Canvas design, Business planning and the Business Plan, Financial Analysis and Projections; Market and Competitive Analysis, Presentation of the Opportunity, Intellectual Property Strategies for Technology Companies; Marketing, Sales and Distribution Strategies, Investment and Financial Strategies, Venture Growth and Value Harvesting.

Syllabus:

A detailed syllabus with information on the schedule will be made available to registered participants.
You may find the syllabus useful when discussing with your home university whether the ECTS credits attainable for this course are accepted by them.

Please note this is a full-time, intensive course and participants will be expected to attend lectures (18 hours of class per week) and complete independent study Monday through Friday. Additional study may also be required on weekends. The activities of the cultural program are also shown in the syllabus.

Students and professionals in business & marketing, product & service development, design and engineering.

Participants of the TU Berlin Summer School must meet the following requirements: (i) B2 level English, or equivalent and (ii) at least one year of university experience.

Erik Sander’s career spans a broad range of professional experiences – from working as an engineer in NASA’s labs and Fortune 500 companies to starting and growing technology companies, working in the private venture industry, and managing the cutting-edge research and innovation of academia.

He currently serves as the founder and the Michael Durham Executive Director of the University of Florida Engineering Innovation Institute, which fosters a culture of innovation leadership within the UF College of Engineering and beyond.

Erik received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and Master of Science in Management of Technology (Cum Laude) from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He’s served on the boards of a number of public and private organizations and has given invited presentations at over 100 conferences internationally.

Course fees for Engineering Entrepreneurship are as follows:

• Student: 1950 Euro
• Working professional/Non-student: 2340 Euro

Please note that students will be required to upload proof of their student status (student card/ enrollment information) during the registration process.

Register now!