Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Attending this CU requires solid knowledge of: Marketing, Strategy, Accounting and Project Analysis.

The pedagogy used includes the existence of theoretical-practical classes, where the aim is to present the themes and illustrate the contents through the debate of specific cases, and the active intervention of students.

Students will be invited to prepare the theoretical exposition classes in advance, by reading the bibliography assigned to each chapter of the program. This previous work is considered essential, in order to alert the students to the contents to be exposed, facilitate their learning and improve their final performance. Any student who, for some reason, is unable to prepare the classes, will jeopardize himself and reduce the performance of the group and of the class.

Various study and working materials will be published on ISCAC’s Moodle computer platform which must be consulted.

a) Objectives

General:

1- To present the general aspects of Entrepreneurship and Innovation under two general perspectives: those concerning the activity and management practice, and as an economic factor of development that creates employment and wealth;

2- To present and characterize the different process of innovation;

3- To highlight the nature of the environment in which the firm operates and its consequences to the new business, namely with regard to taking advantage of opportunities, risk management and generation of innovative ideas;

4- To make students aware of entrepreneurial activity, highlighting the conditions for the success of start-ups, namely the aspects that have to do with the planning of the new business and its product, the preparation of the business plan, the funding options and management models.

Specific:

Included in each point comprising the Program Chapters.

b) Skills to be acquired: 

• Understand the process of innovation in firms and society;
• Identify the ways a company can create innovative products and services;
• Materialize ideas and convert them into business;
• Build a business plan for a new enterprise;
• Define the new business strategy;
• Know how to communicate the business idea.

CHAPTER 1 – WHAT IS INNOVATION?
1- Basic concepts
2- Innovation models: evolutionary perspective
3- The process of innovation, production and dissemination of knowledge
4- Sources of innovation
(Teaching time: 5 lessons)

 CHAPTER 2 – STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATION
1- Strategic analysis of innovation and technology
2- Technology and competitiveness
3- Innovation strategies: why?
4- Profile of innovative companies: who?
5- Mechanisms to access innovation: how?
6- Integration of why, who and how to innovate
(Teaching time: 5 lessons)

CHAPTER 3 – INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
1- Nature and importance of entrepreneurship
2- Strategies and opportunities for new entries
3- The “entrepreneurial” and “intrapreneurial” mind
4- The entrepreneurial process
5- The individual entrepreneur
(Teaching time: 3 lessons)

CHAPTER 4 – CREATIVITY AND GENERATION OF IDEAS
1- Creativity and new business ideas
2- Techniques to generate ideas
3- Product planning and development of new products
4- Intellectual Property and legal issues for setting up a firm
(Teaching time: 4 lessons)

CHAPTER 5 – THE BUSINESS PLAN
1. What is a business plan?
2. Integration of the model and the business plan
3. Plan elaboration and communication
4. Information requirements for the plan: supporting questions, arguments and evidence
5. Critical components of the Business Plan
5.1 – Market and external environment analysis
5.2 – The firm: organization and operation
5.3 – Budget and estimated turnover
5.4 – Cashflow Projections
(Teaching time: 7 lessons)

CHAPTER 6 – FUNDING THE NEW BUSINESS
1 – Funding sources
2 – Risk, funding and maturation of products
3 – Venture capital
(Teaching time: 2 lessons)

CHAPTER 7 – THE MANAGEMENT OF THE NEW BUSINESS
1- Growth strategies
2- Implications of growth for the firm
3- External sources of resources
(Teaching time: 4 lessons)

NAO

Main Bibliography:
Hisrich, R. D., Peters, M. P. e Shepherd, D. A. (2017) Entrepreneurship. McGraw-Hill, 10th Edition, New York.
Drucker, P. (2020) Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Harper Business.
Ries, E. (2017) The Lean Startup. Currency, New York.
Amit, R. e Zott, C. (2021) Business Model Innovation Strategy. Wiley, New Jersey.
Sá, J. Vasconcelos e, Pereira, M., Gião, F. e Borges, E. (2015) Como Inovar: A minha empresa é o meu primeiro emprego. Vida Económica, Lisboa.
Harvard Business School Press (2002) Empreendedorismo e Estratégia, Campus, 7ª Ed.

Secondary Bibliography:
Thiel, P. (2014) From zero to one. Penguin Random House, London.
Scarborough, N. N., Wilson, D. I. e Zimmerer, T. W. (2011) Effective small Business Management: An entrepreneurial approach. Pearson International Edition, 9ª Ed.
Wickham, P. (2006) Strategic Entrepreneurship. 4ª Ed., Pearson Inc.
Bhidé, A. V. (2000) The Origin and Evolution of New Business. Oxford University Press.
Sarkar, S. (2010) Empreendedorismo e Inovação. Escolar Editora. Lisboa, 2ª Ed.
Trias de Bes, F. (2008) O livro negro do empreendedor. Gestãoplus Edições, Lisboa.