Entrepreneurship in and outside Science

The programme is tailored for PhD candidates and early-career researchers who are curious about how their scientific work can contribute to real-world solutions. It guides participants through the early stages of turning scientific knowledge into societal, environmental, or economic impact by exploring various valorisation pathways.

The course introduces entrepreneurship not just as a career path, but as a way of working — a mindset that encourages opportunity recognition, innovation, and the development of concrete propositions that may lead to new products, services, policies, or ventures.

 

General Information

Target Group:	PhD candidates and early-career researchers who are curious in what a career in entrepreneurship and business has to offer
Group size:	Max. 12 participants
Course duration:	information session, 2 full days and one afternoon with one optional deepdive on funding
Language:	English
Credit points:	1.1 ECTS
Self-study hours:	maximum 8
Name lecturer:	Gitte Schober (CVI / Wageningen UR).
Venue:	StartHub, Plus Ultra II
NOTE:	deepdive "Funding" on October 24 is optional

 

Programme

Day 1

09.00     Welcome

09.30     Introduction to valorisation pathways for a scientists at WUR and in the Netherlands

10.00     From Science to Society: strategies and tools

11.30     From Scientist to Solution Developer: competences, skills and career decisions

12.30     Lunch and individual feedback on career decisions, ambitions and personal development

14.00     Ideation and opportunity recognition

14.30     Examples of successful initiatives –

• Applied research and product development
• Social / Societal Venture
• Spin-out your research after your PhD

16.00     Analyse your own opportunities

17.00     Wrap-up and individual tasks for preparation of day 2

Day 2

09.00     Welcome

09.30     Developing an opportunity into a proposition – from the problem to the solution: Patents, products, services and policies

               Individual and group work on personal opportunities

11.30     Innovation Readiness Levels, risks and scenarios

12.30     Lunch and individual feedback on the feasibility of the ideas

14.00     Overview of WUR support:  Wageninegn Impact Catalyst, National Deal Terms for spinout activities, funding sources

14.30     Development I: Individual pathway selection, defining next steps to validate

15.30     Development II: feedback from experts: freedom to operate, technological feasibility and economic feasibility at the StartHub Expert Carrousel

 

Day 3 – Afternoon session

12.00     Welcome

12.30     Preparing  your proposition, last check-ups

13.00     Individual presentations of the propositions to a panel of experts with extensive Q&A

16.30     Wrap-up

 

Fee

1a) Reduced fee: PhD candidates of Wageningen University with an approved Training and Supervision Plan (TSP) and postdocs of Wageningen University that are registered at one of the graduate schools of Wageningen (EPS, PE&RC, VLAG, WASS, WIAS, WIMEK)	€ 275
2) Full fee: All other PhD candidates / post-docs and staff of Wageningen University	€ 450
3) Extended fee: All other participants	please inquire

Fee includes study and training material, coffee/tea and two lunches and full online functionality.

Cancellation condition:

Until six weeks before the start of the course, you can cancel free of charge. After this date you will be charged with the “Full Fee”. 

Exemption of payment:

• For PhD’s and post-docs of Wageningen University: when you have a valid reason (circumstances beyond your control) to cancel, you will be charged the reduced fee. In this case a written statement of the supervisor/superior is required.

Note: When you do not have a valid reason to cancel or do not show up at courses that are free of charge you will be charged with €100.

Information

For more information please contact Gitte.Schober@wur.nl