Academic innovation and entrepreneurship

This elective PhD-level course provides basic training in academic innovation and entrepreneurship. The course is open to PhD candidates across UiT The Arctic University of Norway and, subject to capacity, external PhD candidates. UiT PhD candidates are prioritised.

This course gives PhD candidates from all disciplines an introduction to how ideas can be developed into innovations within an academic context. Innovation is broadly understood and includes product innovation, commercialisation and spin-off development as well as service, process, social and public sector innovation, and artistic or other forms of innovation within an academic context.

Recognising that academic innovation and entrepreneurship include processes of problem-solving and value creation, the course emphasises collaboration across disciplines and sectors.

Participants work with their own research or with a relevant idea to identify who may benefit from it, clarify the value or impact it may create, assess assumptions and risks, and develop and pitch a realistic path forward.

This elective course can be included in the research training of PhD candidates at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and in the educational portfolio of High North Academy.

PhD candidates may be admitted to the course. Applicants who are not enrolled in a PhD programme may be admitted if they hold a master’s degree or equivalent qualifications, in accordance with UiT’s current admission requirements.

PhD candidates must upload documentation from their university confirming that they are registered as PhD candidates. Other applicants must upload a master’s diploma and Diploma Supplement, or an English translation of these documents where applicable.

Applicants from countries specified by UiT must document proficiency in English in accordance with UiT’s current admission requirements.

External PhD candidates, including candidates from EUGLOH universities, may be admitted subject to capacity.

Holders of a Master´s degree must upload a Master´s Diploma with Diploma Supplement / English translation of the diploma and must document proficiency in English. A detailed list of various criteria to qualify for English language proficiency can be found here: English proficiency

The course will be cancelled if less than 10 participants.

Registration

PhD candidates at UiT register for classes and exam in StudentWeb before 1 February. The registration starts in middle of December.

Other applicants apply for admission through SøknadsWeb before 6th of January.

• Contact admissio@uit.no if you have troubles regarding submission of application and if you have not received answer on your application for admission.

• If you need support to register for the course after getting admitted to UiT, contact ingjerd.nilsen@uit.no at the BFE-faculty.

Knowledge

Understand and critically assess how academia can create societal, public, commercial, cultural, theoretical or practice-oriented value.

Understand and critically assess innovation and entrepreneurship frameworks for recognising opportunities and creating value in academic contexts.

Analyse and evaluate how ideas evolve through iterative refinement informed by stakeholder, peer, ethical, legal, confidentiality and intellectual property considerations.

Understand basic elements of the university innovation ecosystem, including DOFI, TTO/Norinnova/InnoHub, funding mechanisms, and routes from research to application or impact.

Skills

Identify an opportunity, problem or need based in their own field, and formulate a clear value, impact or implementation proposition.

Apply business, implementation, impact or innovation model tools, or another relevant template, to develop and refine an innovation process.

Plan and conduct limited validation through structured conversations with relevant stakeholders or use an appropriate alternative validation method when external contact is not feasible or appropriate.

Present a validated and refined innovation concept in a format and language tailored to relevant actors in the innovation ecosystem, such as potential users, public sector actors, TTOs, funding bodies, industry partners, non-governmental organisations, policy actors or scientific communities.

General competence

Identify and act on opportunities for responsible societal value creation from research throughout their career.

Initiate and contribute to collaboration across disciplinary, institutional and sectoral boundaries in contexts where research meets practice, industry, public needs, culture or society.

Communicate complex research and its potential for innovation, implementation or application to specialist, non-specialist and decision-making audiences, and adapt the communication to purpose and context.

The course combines online activities (module 1 and 2) and in-person attendance in Tromsø (module 3). The total workload is 75-90 hours, including preparation, reading, teaching, workshops, validation work, assignment preparation and examination. Approximately 20-25 hours will normally be scheduled as teaching, workshops and examination activities.

The course is structured around three modules that move candidates from foundational understanding to idea development, limited validation and final communication. Candidates can work on their own research-based ideas but may also work on a relevant idea from their research group or field when this is more appropriate. No prior business or innovation training is assumed.

The course combines online activities (module 1 and 2) and in-person attendance in Tromsø (module 3). The total workload is 75-90 hours, including preparation, reading, teaching, workshops, validation work, assignment preparation and examination. Approximately 20-25 hours will normally be scheduled as teaching, workshops and examination activities.

The course is structured around three modules that move candidates from foundational understanding to idea development, limited validation and final communication. Candidates can work on their own research-based ideas but may also work on a relevant idea from their research group or field when this is more appropriate. No prior business or innovation training is assumed.

Module 1 Foundations: Candidates are introduced to core concepts, theories and tools for academic innovation and entrepreneurship: value creation and value propositions; commercial and non-commercial innovation; social, public sector, service, process and organisational innovation; stakeholder and user analysis; responsible innovation; ethics, privacy and data considerations; intellectual property and confidentiality; DOFI/TTO/Norinnova/InnoHub and the university innovation support system; funding opportunities; and the innovation ecosystem connecting universities to society. Candidates formulate a short initial idea note.

Module 2 Value creation, impact and implementation: Candidates develop their ideas’ potential for value creation and impact and outline an initial plan for implementation. They apply theories and relevant tools to their own projects such as business, implementation, impact or innovation models, stakeholder mapping and value proposition design. Confidentiality, intellectual property, project agreements and publication plans must be considered before any external disclosure. Based on this, candidates submit a note including their refined ideas and models for identifying value and impact, possible stakeholders, together with a plan for validation and implementation.

Module 3 Validation, preparation and examination: Candidates test and validate concepts, key assumptions and plans in a limited and feasible manner, normally through a few structured conversations with relevant peers and/or external stakeholders (potential customers or users, suppliers, other practitioners from the field, actors from the support system). Where external engagement is not feasible or appropriate, approved alternatives may include feedback from other innovation support services, field experts, supervisors, user representatives, peers or structured desk research. Candidates sharpen the idea, value, impact and implementation logic as the final preparation for the pitch or project presentation. The module concludes with an oral examination.

Language of instruction and examination

Schedule

More info about the coursework requirements

The following coursework requirements must be completed and approved to take the final exam:

• 80% attendance in scheduled online and in-person activities.
• Active participation and engagement in online and in-person course activities, such as discussions, group work, peer review and presentations.
• Submission of a short idea note, maximum one page, describing the initial idea, and the opportunity or problem that is addressed.
• Submission of a note, normally 3-4 pages, including the refined idea and models for identifying initial value and impact, possible customers/users and other stakeholders, together with a plan for validation and implementation.

More info about the assignment

Exam:

• Submission of the pitch idea before final pitch
• Oral exam/ final pitch at the last day of the course that is evaluated by an expert panel
• The exam will be assessed as either pass or fail.

More info about the oral exam

The examination consists of an oral pitch or project presentation in which candidates present their idea to an expert panel. Assessment focuses on their ability to articulate a relevant opportunity or problem, communicate a proposed solution clearly, demonstrate critical thinking and learning from stakeholder engagement or alternative validation, and present a credible pathway to value creation, implementation and impact.

Candidates may present individually or in groups.

During the pitch or project presentation, candidates are expected to:

• Clearly articulate the opportunity or problem they aim to address.
• Identify the target audience, users, beneficiaries or stakeholders for their idea and explain its value or relevance to this group.
• Demonstrate how the idea can be developed into a viable and impactful solution, implementation pathway, policy contribution, service improvement, social innovation, commercial opportunity or other relevant form of value creation.
• Describe what they learned from stakeholder engagement or alternative validation, and how the idea was revised as a result.
• Outline how they will proceed with developing the research idea while taking account of ethical, confidentiality, intellectual property and PhD progression considerations.

The examination is followed by a Q&A session, where the expert panel may ask questions to probe the candidate’s understanding, challenge the candidate’s assumptions, or explore the feasibility, implementation and impact of the idea further.

The exam will be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

Re-sit examination

A re-sit exam will not be held.

Candidates who do not pass the exam may retake the exam at the next ordinary course examination or at a deferred examination where applicable. Deferred examinations are offered at the beginning of the following semester if the candidate is unable to take the final exam due to illness or other exceptional circumstances.