School of health innovation

School of Health Innovation aims to provide healthcare and life science researchers with tools and insight into how innovation can be put to work for the benefit of patients, the healthcare system and our society.

The School of Health Innovation provides the two courses “Health innovation and entrepreneurship” and “Entrepreneurship in healthcare”. The programme is an initiative from the University of Oslo, in partnership with Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Karolinska Institutet, University of Copenhagen and Nansen Neuroscience Network. There is also a collaboration with the University of Bergen and the University of Tromsø. The School of Health Innovation is a Scandinavian programme open to PhD candidates and post doctors from medical faculties at the collaborating institutions. After completing the first-course “Health innovation and entrepreneurship”, eligible and qualified applicants may apply for the next level course “Entrepreneurship in healthcare.”

94% of students say the course has been relevant for their future career options. A few quotes from our students:

"We learned a lot about teamwork, developing products, developing ideas and how to protect your ideas. That’s biggest “take-home”, how to work outside the scientific mindset", says Joao Pedro Mauricio Rosa from Karolinska Institutet.

"I think the most important thing is activities that challenge you to think differently. Even though you start with some knowledge, you’ll be forced to use it in new ways and under time pressure." PhD from NTNU.

"Highly valuable course for every scientist! Even for people who plan to stay in academia, this course provides a perspective one can otherwise not learn in regular university courses."

Course 1: Health innovation and entrepreneurship, spring 2022

Learn how to turn research results and ideas into business ventures and how to create innovative services in a clinical setting.

About the modules

Module 1, Online/Zoom  (NTNU in collaboration with UIO)

  • February 
  • The programme will be published here

Module 2, Online/Zoom (KU)

  • March
  • The programme will be published here

Module 3, Online/Zoom  (KI)

  • April
  • The programme will be published here

About the course

This course will equip medical, healthcare and life science researchers with tools and knowledge to innovate services for patients, create companies based on their research ideas, or bring their research ideas into existing companies. 

You will meet with and learn from leaders in academia, hospitals and healthcare companies.

The course is free of charge and covered by a grant from the Novo Nordisk foundation. Travel and accommodation is also covered. The teaching language throughout the course is English. 

Methods

Case-based learning is a core part of the programme, and cases are developed in collaboration between the partnering universities and companies presenting in the programme. Project-based learning is another central part of the programme, where the participants are given the opportunity to develop an idea from their own research environment.

Practical issues and expenses

There is no course fee. The course gives 7.5 ECTS. The course will physical with modules in Oslo, Copenhagen and Karolinska.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course the participants will be able to:

  • Learn how to build a business in healthcare based on their own research
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the opportunities of health innovation and entrepreneurship for utilization of research
  • Apply scientific background and new knowledge of health innovation to address challenges and develop services and products within a clinical setting and a biopharma/medtech setting
  • Use various business tools for ideation and feasibility studies; to develop, prototype and test solutions in response to user needs
  • Develop a business plan based upon a novel idea and communicate a business plan to people within the startup world
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how Tech Transfer Offices and other innovation support actors can support the commercialization process
  • Discuss and argue for different types of intellectual property and intellectual assets, and understand different patent strategies
  • Apply the basics in financing a startup company from private and governmental funding bodies
  • Discuss and argue for different types of intellectual property and intellectual assets, and establish patent strategies
  • Assess their skills in health innovation and reflect on the exploitation of their own research
  • Combine being a scientist and a health innovator/entrepreneur

Examination

You must attend at least 80 per cent of the course in order to be allowed to take the exam. Attendance will be registered.

The examination will be based on the following:

  • Oral group presentations related to cases
  • Group innovation project presented at the end of the course.The project may be based from your own research or developed during the course.
  • Written individual report (2-3 pages) in which you reflect on your main learning outcomes from the course and how you may utilize this new learning in your career.

The grading is based on the pass/fail system.
The course gives 7.5 ECTS.

Collaborations

The course is a Nordic enterprise developed in partnership between:

  • The University of Oslo (UiO)
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
  • Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm
  • University of Copenhagen (KU)
  • The healthcare business clusters Nansen Neuroscience Network

The course is open to applicants from all collaborating universities and institutions in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

The course is funded by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation

Questions? Please contact:

Admission

The School of Health Innovation is a Scandinavian programme open for PhD:s and postdocs from Faculty of medicine at UiO, NTNU, KI, KU and any other Nordic universities.

The number of students is limited to 50 and admission is based on CV (2-pages in pdf), motivational letter (1 page in pdf) and supervisor recommendation letter (1 page in pdf).

Application deadline: 6 February 2022 at 23:59.  APPLY via the UIO portal

By sending this application, you commit to attend all classes and engage in all preparatory activities and Mentorship sessions during the course.

Applicants for the programme will be notified by email approximately two weeks after the application deadline.

Course 2: Entrepreneurship in Healthcare, autumn 2022

Learn how to develop a research idea into a new company from experienced entrepreneurs, life science executives and academics.

More information updated information will be sent later 2022.

Contact

Samer Yammine

Project manager
08-524 852 01
Unit for Bioentrepreneurship (UBE)
C7 Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics

Mentor companies

Some of the mentor companies and incubators supporting the School of Health Innovation:

Collaborations

The School of Health Innovation is a Norwegian/Swedish enterprise developed in partnership between:

The University of Oslo (UiO)
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm
University of Copenhagen (KU)
The healthcare business clusters Nansen Neuroscience Network

The School of Health Innovation is open to applicants from all collaborating universities and institutions.

It is developed in collaboration with:

The University of Bergen (UiB)
The University of Tromsø (UiT)
Oslo Cancer Cluster and Norway healthtech
UiO:Life Science
The Research Council of Norway
South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority

Other courses in entrepreneurship and innovation

If you do not want to leave Stockholm, a variety of courses in entrepreneurship and innovation are offered by the Unit for bioentrepreneurship at KI.

The very useful and appreciated 4.5 hp course “Exploring entrepreneurial opportunities in research” consists of three separate one-week long course modules spread over a term and will be offered each spring. It begins with the discovery and identification of intellectual assets in daily work. Then introduces relevant business tools to develop a business idea related to one’s research. Finally, the course participants will learn how to package an already developed business idea for introduction into the start-up world.

Courses at the Unit for bioentrepreneurship