Problem/opportunity-customer identification

Problem/opportunity identification is the first step in exploring the possibilities of developing a solution for a problem. It goes hand in hand with exploring the customer needs and the market opportunities related to that problem. This step is key to assess whether you have a potential business idea or just yet another idea. 

1ZEUB0 Introduction to technology entrepreneurship – 5 ECTS – Q2

USE learning line Technology entrepreneurship

The topics covered in the course include creating and evaluating entrepreneurial opportunities from the viewpoint of effectual entrepreneurship. Special attention will be given to fostering creativity for new business development. Furthermore, the design of a business model will be discussed, thereby also focusing on challenges surrounding new business development, like entrepreneurial marketing and entrepreneurial finance.

1ZSUA0 Marketing research and design methods - 5 ECTS - Q2

USE learning line New product development and marketing

Marketing Research and Design Methods is the second course in the "New Product Development and Marketing" USE sequence, and offers students an overview of several important market research and design methods for creating and launching successful innovations. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches are presented, such as cultural probing, segmentation, targeting and positioning.

1ZV20 Marketing perspectives on product innovation – 5 ECTS – Q3

Core course Industrial Engineering

Which steps describe the buying decision processes of consumers? Which information do consumers collect and which criteria are used to evaluate a product or service? Knowledge of such processes is critical for organizations to successfully innovate and market products and services. The course teaches marketing and consumer behavior theory, as well as the research methodologies and skills needed to translate consumer preferences into the development and design of innovative products and services.

1ZAUA0 Innovating by design – 5 ECTS – Q3

Smart Environment track in the TU/e health theme

In this course related to the Smart Environment track in the TU/e health theme, students are asked to: Investigate the innovation opportunities for building good neighborhoods using a customer centric method (cultural probe); Identify design opportunities and come up with a number of radical concepts that can dynamically engage citizens in creating self-empowered and sustainable communities; Evaluate the comparative strength of these concepts and innovation opportunities using conjoint analysis.

1ZAUB0 Entrepreneurship in action – 5 ECTS – Q1 or Q4

In this last project course of the USE sequence “Technology Entrepreneurship” students apply the theoretical knowledge gained from the previous two USE courses. The ultimate goal of this project course is the development of a value proposition for a technological innovation. Each student team will come up with a unique solution and concept based on given technologies.

1ZAUC0 Marketing in action – 5 ECTS – Q4 

USE learning line New product development and marketing 

The aim of this course is to learn students how firms take strategic decisions and define marketing strategies for their products based on insights from market research. The marketing foundations from the first course are be combined with conjoint analysis to come to strategic marketing insights. There is an emphasis on making strategic marketing decisions and experiencing the outcomes in a simulated setting. Central to this course is a new product development and marketing game. The game requires students to interpret market intelligence from marketing research, to develop new products, and to manufacture and launch them in a market with competition from other firms (student teams). It offers a unique opportunity to practice and improve decision-making capabilities in a realistic but risk-free market setting, before trying them out in a real business environment.

JBM165 Entrepreneurship theory & practice – 5 ECTS – Q4

In this course, you will explore why and how opportunities are created and/or discovered by more or less enterprising individuals. In addition, you will explore why only a few of those that see an opportunity will actually engage in efforts to further explore and exploit the opportunities that they have spotted. You will identify factors that drive entrepreneurship at the level of enterprising individuals and enterprising firms. You will learn that entrepreneurship is not necessarily about taking risk as many entrepreneurs put a lot of effort in minimizing (or even outsourcing) risk prior to the launch of their venture. 

1ZM150 Innovation Space Project: innovation and entrepreneurship processes – 10 ECTS – Q1,2,3,4 

This course aims toward challenge-based, project-based learning in interdisciplinary student teams, working on open-ended assignments in close interaction with high-tech companies and societal organizations. It combines the design and engineering of a product/service/system and new business development.

1ZM20 Technology entrepreneurship – 5 ECTS – Q2 

The aim of this course is to develop awareness, understanding and application of flexible and adaptive decision-making approaches along with more familiar prediction and planning-based methods for decision making in the face of uncertainty in new business development based on new technology. 

1ZM11 Marketing and innovation – 5 ECTS – Q3 

We will look at the role that marketing plays in the process of new product development. It complements the course on new product development that focuses on the organization's internal side of innovation by focusing on customers' role in the process. In the course a NPD framework is used and it highlights customers' role at different stages of the process. This is accomplished using a carefully selected set of articles with approximately two relevant articles per topic. The cases are meant to illustrate and practice particular aspects of marketing and innovation. 

1ZM90 Open innovation – 5 ECTS – Q4  

Not possible if you participated in the USE course 1ZSUB0 

During this course, students are able to learn multiple things. First of all to comprehend the differences between the closed innovation model and the open innovation model. They learn to understand the importance of the business model in general and indicate the components of an open innovation business model in particular. Secondly, they identify, differentiate and compare appropriate modes to facilitate the outside-in and inside-out perspective of the open innovation model, together with identifying and interpreting the role of lead-users, crowd-sourcing and co-creation. Students learn to understand the use of open innovation by small and medium-sized enterprises, and the role of inter-firm networks in the research, development and commercialization phases of the open innovation process. All in all, they apply their knowledge throughout the course to a 'real-life' situation (with the help of the open innovation management game). 

4TU MOOC Entrepreneurship for engineers

Are you an entrepreneur, or do you have a passion for building your own technology startup? This course will help and encourage you to start a successful technology-based venture. If you always wanted to become an entrepreneur, or if you are simply interested in putting a new technology to innovative use, this course is for you. This course helps you understand the process of entrepreneurship from a technology-oriented background. The course is made up of modules that are presented by experts in the field of entrepreneurship and technology.