Base Knowledge
Not applicable
Teaching Methodologies
Through a blend of lectures, case studies, and hands-on projects, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to create, sustain, and grow enterprises. This course is structured around the Business Model Canvas methodology, providing students with a systematic framework to develop, evaluate, and refine their entrepreneurial ideas. The Canvas serves as the backbone of the learning journey, with each session building upon different elements of this powerful business planning tool.
Practical Components
A significant strength of this course is its emphasis on applied learning through both group and individual projects:
Group Project Development: Students will work in teams throughout the course to develop a comprehensive business plan based on the Business Model Canvas.
Each session includes a dedicated “Group project orientation” time, during which teams apply the day’s concepts directly to their ongoing projects with guidance.
Group Presentations: The course culminates with team presentations, during which each group pitches its business plan to simulated investors, demonstrating its mastery of entrepreneurial concepts and the Business Model Canvas framework.
Individual Assignment: Students will also complete individual work focusing on specific aspects of city innovation and entrepreneurship, including case study analysis.
This ensures that each student develops personal competencies in the course concepts.
Individual Presentations: The final session includes individual presentations where students showcase their personal insights and analysis, allowing for individual learning and perspective assessment.
The teaching methodology recommended in this curriculum unit involves a simplified assessment based on summaries of the main points covered in class. It is aligned to promote broad knowledge in the field of cities, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Learning Results
Innovation and entrepreneurship have been a central element in business and economic development worldwide. In recent decades, innovators and entrepreneurs have gained significant recognition for their contributions to economic and social development, particularly in the urban context.
Thus, the overall objective of this module is to equip students with knowledge about the current reality within the scope of so-called smart cities and the creation and development of innovation in cities, exposing them to diverse experiences and realities through the presentation and analysis of case studies and contact with external specialists invited to some of the lectures, whilst also obtaining the necessary competencies to understand in a holistic manner the multiple dimensions of so-called smart cities and the creation and development of innovation in cities.
Additionally, the applied component of this module is structured around the Business Model Canvas methodology, which provides students with a systematic framework for developing, evaluating, and refining their innovative and entrepreneurial ideas. The Canvas serves as the backbone of the learning journey, with each session building upon different elements of this powerful business planning tool.
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
1. Identify key entrepreneurial concepts and understand the roles of innovation, entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship;
2. Develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset to recognise sectoral and industrial opportunities;
3. Master the application of the Business Model Canvas to create, evaluate, and iterate on innovative business ideas;
4. Assess market conditions and organisational structures to make informed business decisions;
5. Develop and present compelling business plans and presentations that demonstrate entrepreneurial innovations.
The transversal objectives of this module are:
* To stimulate critical and conceptual capacity articulated with theory and practice;
* To promote values, principles and an entrepreneurial and business attitude;
* To develop a close relationship between the student and the job market;
* To enhance participation in classes and the development of practical work;
* To share experiences and knowledge, and identify ideas and market opportunities;
* To develop strategic and operational thinking in Innovation and entrepreneurship in cities.
To provide students with knowledge about current reality in the field of so-called smart cities and of the creation and development of
innovation in cities, exposing them to different experiences and realities through the presentation and analysis of practical cases and
contact with external experts who will be invited to some of the classes. The experts to be selected should cover a wide range of
organizations and companies in order to provide a rich and multidimensional exchange of experiences in the field of cities.
To develop students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to write technical-scientific documents and to practise research, oral and written
presentation of technical-scientific work, with the aim of promoting a space for reflection on innovation in cities.
To acquire the necessary skills to understand in a holistic way the multiple dimensions of the so-called smart cities and the creation and
development of innovation in cities.
Program
1. Introduction to the Module “Smart” Cities and Innovation:
Objectives of the Module, Syllabus, Exercise
explanation
Acknowledge students’ previous experience
Introduction to Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
2. The future of cities: evolution and transformation. The integration of technology and the digitalisation of the city.
Cities, innovation and entrepreneurship. The top-down vs. bottom-up perspective.
Urban labs, open data and the open source movement.
Start-Up City: Creating a shared vision for innovation and entrepreneurship
Cities in the development of creative clusters
Launching a start-up: value proposition and business models, Idea generation and creativity
3. Opportunity Recognition and Ideation.
Identifying market gaps and trends in communication
and media.
Business opportunities identification.
Techniques for generating and evaluating business
ideas.
Introduction to the Business Model Canvas.
4. Customer Segments and Value Propositions.
Identifying and analysing target audiences.
Crafting compelling value propositions for media
products/services.
Applying these concepts to the Business Model
Canvas.
5. Channels and Customer Relationships
Building and maintaining customer relationships in the
digital age.
Integrating channels and relationships into the
Business Model Canvas.
6. Revenue Streams and Cost Structure.
Understanding and managing costs for
startups.
Financial components of the Business Model Canvas.
7. Resources, Activities and Key Partnerships.
Identifying critical resources for city business and ventures.
Core activities in business.
Mapping resources and activities.
Model Canvas.
Strategic partnerships.
Completing the Business Model Canvas.
8. Factors of the environment that influence business and identification of internal critical factors.
Conducting market research.
Analysing competitors and developing a competitive
Factors of the environment that influence business and
Refining the Business Model Canvas based on the market
insights.
PEST and SWOT model application.
9. Marketing and Branding for Startups.
Funding and Financial Planning.
Financing sources and crowdfunding.
Basic financial projections and planning.
Aligning marketing with the Business Model Canvas.
10. Pitch & Business Plans.
Curricular Unit Teachers
Eduardo Manuel Ferreira Almeida da Natividade JesusInternship(s)
NAO
Bibliography
Notes and presentations provided by the lecturer.
Apontamentos e apresentações fornecidos pelo docente.
Clark, J. (2020). Uneven Innovation: The Work of Smart Cities. Columbia University Press.
Klein, G., & Vega-Barachowitz, D. (2015). Start-Up City: Inspiring Private and Public Entrepreneurship, Getting Projects Done, and Having
Fun. Island Press.
Green, B. (2020). The Smart Enough City: Putting Technology in Its Place to Reclaim Our Urban Future. MIT Press.