The Sciencepreneur program was designed for NOVA scientists who are seeking to create value from their research activities. We have developed a program that focuses on the acquisition of the basic concepts and understanding on how to generate value from their research activities into a wider context, namely their benefits to the society. We have developed together with the NOVA Doctoral School, the Sciencepreneur | The Basics, which is a course to provide PhD students, Researchers, Professors and Scientists with the theoretical content required to work on the right mindset, and the Sciencepreneur | Hands-on, for those who have understood the potential of their research activities and want to develop together with a network of experts and mentors, the potential commercialization strategies of the technology or scientific breakthroughs, work on a business case and present it to Venture Capitalists in the end of the program.
Developed together with the NOVA Doctoral School, this course provides the theoretical content required to analyze research from a broader perspective and work on the right mindset. Learn more about Sciencepreneur | The Basics course.
Creating value from research
Sciencepreneur Hands-on aims to accelerate knowledge transfer at NOVA, supporting scientists with a technological or scientific breakthrough to identify the best path for its commercialization, through a one-on-one guidance on how to build a go-to-market strategy, from research results to impact.
Program Description
Sciencepreneur Hands-on aims to accelerate knowledge transfer at NOVA, supporting scientists with a technological or scientific breakthrough to identify the best path for its commercialization, through a one-on-one guidance on how to build a go-to-market strategy, from research results to impact.
Participants will have access to:
This initiative is promoted by Rectory’s NOVA IMPACT.
Key goals:
Workload and Activities:
The Program will take place online, through a period of 14 weeks. The estimated availability is of 6 hours per week (taking into account work and mentoring sessions).
The program will begin on the 7th December until the 12th of March.
Selected applicants will meet their assigned mentors in the beginning of the program (7th December) to present the current status of their project and brainstorm. There will be a clearly defined list of milestones to achieve throughout the program, towards the desired goal. Teams must comply with these milestones. Meetings will occur normally every week, but can vary depending on specific milestones and mentors’ availability.
Midway, each team will have to give a midterm pitch (5th of February), presenting the developments made thus far to a panel of experienced invited guests, who will provide feedback and tips for the steps ahead.
Towards the end, teams should work on the final business case report, and a pitch trial session will take place before the final pitch session on the 12th of March.
In the end of the program (12th of March), applicants will pitch their work to a panel of investors and experienced entrepreneurs.
Outcomes:
During this program the participants will:
Participation Requirements
To participate in Sciencepreneur Hands-on, it is mandatory to have previously participated in the Sciencepreneur - the Basics, or have participated in other entrepreneurship programs, where participants already got contact with the main entrepreneurship-based concepts. This is an action-based program where you will mainly learn by doing, focusing on practice rather than theory.
Projects are welcome in any field of knowledge, as long as they have a strong scientific component, are innovative or disruptive, have some discernible economic value, and have not yet been funded by market-oriented investors.
Date: From 7th December 2020 to 12th of March 2021
Personalized mentorship:
Once every week with assigned mentor;
Facilitated access to all experts from NOVA Mentor Network and other NOVA IMPACT partners.
Venue: Online
Acces the regulation of Sciencepreneur Hands-on 2020.