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 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.
Course Description
The chosen participants for the "Entrepreneurship in healthcare", will experience Scandinavia's most advanced support systems for healthcare entrepreneurs. Leading experts from BI – the Norwegian Business School will teach you the skills of entrepreneurship and show you the basic steps in how to build a start-up business.
This course provides the skills and network for researchers or clinicians to develop their research idea into a successful business with a commercial output.
Applicants are required to bring their own project idea, which will be the framework for the development of a business plan.
Each participant will get a business mentor, who will provide guidance and advice during the process as well as help developing the business plan. All participants will have to do a project pitching at the end of the course, where the three best projects will be awarded a money price.
This course requires 4 days of participation in classes in Oslo (depending on the pandemic situation it might be online) as well as 2 days of participation in Copenhagen for the exam project pitching. Participants must also set time aside for the mentorship, the preparation of a business plan and for the preparation of the final project pitch.
Course syllabus
Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship - course 1 of School of Health Innovation
Examination
The exam will have two parts Development of a written business plan for a research idea that may be commercialized. An investor presentation, which will be pitched at the final meeting in Copenhagen.
Practical issues and expenses
The course is free of cost and the School of Health Innovation covers breakfast, lunch, and dinners as well as two nights of accommodation for each module. We reimburse travel expenses up to 2000 DKK. per module. Taxa is to be pre-approved and no additional accommodations are reimbursed.
The course gives 5 ECTS.
Dates
3 modules x 2 days each:
- Module 1: 22-23 September 2022
- Module 2: 27-28 October 2022
- Module 3: 1-2 December 2022
Location
Location for Module 1 and 2 is Oslo. Module 3 will take place in Copenhagen.
Participants
Anyone who already has an idea for a start-up/spin-out (it can be early stage) can apply, provided that you meet the eligibility requirements for doctoral courses at KI.
Admission
The best applicants will be hand-picked, based on their project description, CV, and motivational letter. For PhDs to be considered, it is required to include a supervisor recommendation letter (confirmation of acceptance of your enrolment in the course is sufficient).
Application deadline: 26 June 2022 at 23:59.
Apply here
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.
Questions? Please contact:
- Bjarte Reve: bjarte.reve@medisin.uio.no
- Tonje Steigedal: tonje.s.steigedal@ntnu.no
- Samer Yammine: samer.yammine@ki.se
- Pil Larsson: pil.larsson@sund.ku.dk
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
Course 1: Health innovation and entrepreneurship, spring 2023
Learn how to turn research results and ideas into business ventures and how to create innovative services in a clinical setting.
Course syllabus
Entrepreneurship in Healthcare - course 2 of School of Health Innovation
More information updated information will be sent late 2022.
Contact
Samer Yammine
Project managerMentor companies
Some of the mentor companies and incubators supporting the School of Health Innovation:
- Serendipity partners, VC Fund - Oslo
- AstraZeneca - Göteborg, Sweden
- Inven2, TTO Oslo
- Pre-Diagnostics (Diagnostics company – Alzheimers) - Oslo
- Network of companies that work with Nansen Neuroscience Network and Oslo Cancer Cluster
- Aleap health incubator - Oslo
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.