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
Experience one of Scandinavia´s most advanced support system for healthcare entrepreneurs, where BI – The Norwegian Business School combines academic learning, practical teachings in how to build a start-up business and a 1-1 mentorship with the aim of further developing your research idea into commercialization. Bring your own project idea that you believe could be commercialized and use it as the basis for developing a business plan. The three best project pitches will receive a money award at the end of the course.
Dates: 3 modules (2-3 days per module) 2023:
Module 1: September 20-22
Module 2: October 25-27
Module 3: November 27-28
Location: Oslo, Norway
Participants
All (PhD, Postdocs, young clinicians, young Professors) who already have an idea for a start-up/spin-out (it can be early stage). In total 40 participants from all partner countries (SE, NO, DK) will be accepted.
Admission
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 enrollment in the course is sufficient).
Application deadline: June 18, 2023
APPLY
Download the 2023 program here: Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme
The final 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 prize.
This course requires 4 days of participation in classes in Oslo as well as 2 days of participation in a final session 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.
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.
Attendance in all modules.
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 2,000 DKK. per module. Taxa is to be pre-approved and no additional accommodations are reimbursed.
The course gives 5 ECTS.
Course 1: Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship, spring 2024
Learn how to turn research results and ideas into business ventures and how to create innovative services in a clinical setting.
Read about the experience of former attendees:
More information will follow late 2023.
Contact info
Lene Nørby Nielsen, Program Manager, UCPH, DK: noerby@sund.ku.dk
Lilian Rasmussen, Program Manager, UCPH, DK: lilian.rasmussen@sund.ku.dk
Bjarte Reve, Program Manager, UiO, NO: bjarte.reve@considium.no
Katja D. Mjøs, Program Manager, UiO, NO: k.d.mjos@growthhouse.uio.no
Tonje Steigedal, Program Manager, NTNU, NO: tonje.s.steigedal@ntnu.no
Samer Yammine, Program Manager, KI, SE: samer.yammine@ki.se
Contact
Samer Yammine
Project managerOther 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.