From Science to Business: how to transfer knowledge and technology from academia to economy 0800-TRAWIUM

From science to business – transferring knowledge and skills to the socio-economic environment is a course aimed at anyone interested in how innovations are created and how scientific knowledge can have a real impact on the economy and society. The starting point is questions about the sources of new technologies, why some solutions develop rapidly, while others – despite huge investments – remain only ideas. The course shows that the path ‘from science to business’ is only one of the possible models for creating innovation, and that effective technological development requires the cooperation of many actors: scientists, entrepreneurs, public administration, social organisations and end users.

The classes take the form of discussion seminars and project work. Students work on examples from Polish and international research and development practice, analysing commercialisation mechanisms, models of cooperation between science and business, the role of the state in the innovation system, and challenges related to responsible and sustainable technology development.

The central element of the course is a team project (prepared by 4-5 people), the aim of which is to develop a concept for transforming a selected idea, invention or technology into a value proposition for the market and society. The project includes context analysis, stakeholder identification, implementation potential assessment, and planning of further development steps. Project consultations are an integral part of each meeting, and final presentations take place during the last module.