Teaching Entrepreneurship at the University of Twente: Models and Practice

Ir. Jaap J. van TilburgProject manager at NIKOS(Dutch Institute for Knowledge Intensive Entrepreneurship),Chairman of Top Spin International,Entrepreneur since 1979,j.j.vantilburg@utwente.nl

Novi Sad, 25 May 2007

Presentation

• Introduction University of Twente• Introduction Nikos

- Mission, Activities and Models on entrepreneurship• Teaching entrepreneurship

- Students

- Entrepreneurs• Appendix

University of TwenteFounded 1961

• 7500 students (57% technical sciences, 43% social sciences)• 700 PhD students• 5 faculties, 3 technical sciences, 2 social sciences• 20 Bachelor’s degrees, 31 Master’s degree courses• 5 Major research areas:

•Computer sciences & telematics •Micro- and nano technology •Biomedical technology •Chemical process technology •Governance studies

Campus 330 acre > 100 buildingsResidential students: 2200

University of Twente entrepreneurship support

• 1979 TTO (Technology Transfer office)• 1983 incubator: BTC (BedrijfsTechnologisch Centrum)• 1984 TOP (Temporary entrepreneurial positions)• 1984 Course “Becoming an entrepreneur” • 1990 Business & Science Park• 1990 MESA+ 1996 UTOC (UT Entrepreneurship Centre)• 1999 USE (University student enterprises)• 2000 Minor entrepreneurship• 2001 NIKOS (merger between TTO & UTOC)• 2003 “Successfully your own boss” project• 2004 Business accelerators in faculties• 2005 Master Innovative Entrepreneurship & Business development• 2005 Innovation Lab Twente • 2006 ECIU international Master Innovation & Entrepreneurship • 2006 Knowledge park • 2006 Opportunity zone• 2007 PRE-incubator / Centre of Entrepreneurship for ambition

Mission Nikos

• Nikos consolidates the university’s expertise and experience - from the Chairs for Innovative Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategic Management and International Management - in a professional academic team, qualified to do research, teach, offer consultancy and business development support in these fields.

• We work for and with students, firms in and outside our region, policymakers and partners at the University of Twente.

Research •The role of entrepreneurial networking•University-Industry Interaction (ECIU)•E-commerce in SME’s•Global start ups•Database of knowledge intensive firms•Marie Curie Training site•High Tech Small firm Conference0

Business Development •TOP•NENSI•KEB•Bepart•Mephi•Global starts

Teaching •Minor Entrepreneurship, international management•High tech business development•Msc Innovative Entrepreneurship & business development•ECIU Master Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Training & consultancy •Market orientation HTSF•KVGO/VNO-NCW•Rabo•International consultancy

Activitities in NIKOS

Research

Trainingand

Consultancy

BusinessDevelopment

Support

TeachingEntrepreneurship

in networks

Social system based process model of Entrepreneurship

Contacts with: - clients - suppliers - experts - colleagues - support agents

4S-Model: What are the needs of an entrepreneur?• Ideas

• Assessing the opportunity

• Strategic processes

• Business plan

• Culture, values, norms• Facilities• Personelrrangements & Systems • Knowledge

• Own capital • bridging development period • Financing investments - Venture Capital - Loans

Scope: from

idea to Strategy

SocialNetwork-Contacts

Skills:Patterns of Organisation

Scale: Economy:Financial means

Entrepreneur and

Enterprise

Training students in entrepreneurship

• Ca. 1984 Course “Become an entrepreneur”• Ca. 1990 Course “Managing an SME”

– Ca. 600 entrepreneurs attended• 2000 Minor Entrepreneurship• 2003 Master Innovation and Entrepreneurship• 2007 ECIU Master Entrepreneurship• Additional entrepreneurship in the curriculum

Entrepreneurship in the curriculum (1)

3yr Bachelor / elective Minor

1 & 2 year Master tracks

Minor entrepreneurship

• Since 2000 (first in The Netherlands)• Ca. 40 participants per year• Top 5 of 50 minors offered at university

Courses in the Minor

Entrepreneurship

Masters in entrepreneurship

• Master Innovation & Entrepreneurship– Since 3 years– 50 students per year– One year– 60 EC (European Credits)

• ECIU Joint Master Innovation & Entrepreneurship– Will start Autumn 2007– Additional year

Master IE &BD (1 year programme):Principles of EntrepreneurshipHRM & Organisational ChangeFinancial Management of Business VenturingDesign and management of the

innovative organizationBusiness development in contextBusiness development in networksMaster ClassThesis

Master 2nd year programme together with University of Aalborg (Denmark)

• Semester 1: Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Semester 2: Entrepreneuring with radical new technology– Management of Technology– Technology dynamics in a societal perspective

– Methods and techniques of research– Projects Advanced Technology (1) in combination with real

life cases

Master Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Master Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Semester 3: Entrepreneuring with radical new technology – Market oriented high-tech entrepreneurship – Financing high-tech ventures – Knowledge management & protection for exploitation of

innovation – Methods and techniques of research and consultancy– Master class / capita selecta – Advanced technology (2) business development projects in

High-tech-High-potential pre-incubator • Semester 4:

Thesis project -> generating business

ECIU Master Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• International 120 EC course, offered by University of Twente and Aalborg Universitet

• Closely linked to master track Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• 60 EC compulsory programme: 1st semester in Twente and 2nd semester in Aalborg

• Minimally one – maximally three semesters study in Aalborg

•Study scheme:

• Master thesis: project under co-supervision of staff from UT & AAU • Double diploma from UT & AAU: - Business administration (UT) + - Master Innovation, Knowledge & Entrepreneurship (AAU)

semester 1 semester 2 semester 3 semester 4

UT AAU UT - AAU UT - AAU

ECIU Master

Additional Entrepreneurship in the curriculum

• Advanced Technologies– Bachelor programme with “entrepreneurship and business

development” as a specialisation• Industrial Design

– In Bachelor programme: Market-oriented entrepreneurship• Business & Information Technolgies

– In Master programme: Business Development in Networks• For Ph D students: Business planning and technology dynamics• For all students (elective):

– Become your own Boss– Managing an SME

Training entrepreneurs “on the job”

• Ca. 1984 Programme TOP Temporal Entrepreneurial Positions

• Ca. 1984 Course “Become an entrepreneur”• Ca. 1990 Course “Management SME”• 2003 Pre incubator Become your own boss• 2008 High Tech Pre incubator at University of Twente• 2009 High Tech Pre incubator training and research

laboratory with other European universities

TOP = training in practice

1 year support• University mentor• University office and research facilities• Use of University image• University network available• Business mentor• Interest free loan

Kansrijk Eigen Baas(Become your own boss)

Overijssel

Group based support/selection

• “Become your own boss” (200 firms created in 2,5 year in rural area)

• Individual trajectories (self selection based)• Group based (n=60, 4-6 months)• Self selection + assessment • Intensive training, ideas brought in, process of

enterprise concept development

New Program for generating High potential entrepreneurial teams creating business out

of UT-technology

High Tech / High potential Group based selection process

• Enterprising with knowledge • Group based (n=60, 4-6 months) + team/concept

based 1 year• Target groups students Saxion, UT & persons with

work experience• Using high potential business concepts UT

High Tech / High potential Group based selection process

1. Self selection + assessment 2. Intensive training, general ideas brought in, process

of enterprise concept development3. Selection of high potential T-M-F teams matched

with high potential business concepts4. Small group/personal coaching with high level

business coaches 5. Network with international VC-funds 6. Office space 1000m2

Expected Results

• Groups of 60 persons• 30 firms based on own idea development of

participants (after 5 years 25 firms, employment >250)

• 5 firms based on high potential ideas matched with teams based on selection during program (after 5 years, 2-3 firms, employment >250)

• 2 groups per year, 3 years employment after 8 year >3000

Characteristics of successful support of entrepreneurial processes

• Multi-dimensional (strategy, organisation, networking, economics)

• Multi-level networking: firm level, regional level, global networks enhancing University Industry Interaction across technological fields

• Multi-actor: combining heterogeneous competencies e.g. creativity, technology, and marketing competencies

High-Technology Small Firm Conference

• Annual conference in cooperation by University of Twente and University of Manchester

• 14-15 June 2007 in Manchester• 2008 in Twente• This conference provides a unique opportunity for an

international gathering of academics, opinion formers, policy makers and practitioners to discuss recent developments in the field of HTSF research and policy delivery.

Appendix

• Links• 4S Dimensions of Entrepreneurial Networking• Valley of Death• TOP results• Opportunity zones

Links

• http://www.utwente.nl/nikos/teaching• http://www.utwente.nl/top• http://www.kansrijkeigenbaas.nl (in Dutch)• http://www.eciu.org• http://www.mbs.ac.uk/research/high-technology.aspx• http://www.topspin.org

Spin off Companies University of Twente

Economic results:

• 500 firms in TOP program (since 1985)• Approx. 400 survived• Total direct employment in region > 3000 fte• Indirect employment ?• Clustering: ICT, biomedical, process technologies,

nano (around Mesa+)

Opportunity Zones

• 3TU Delft, Eindhoven & Twente• (techno)starters & growing companies• Barriers in legislation, procedures, licenses but also financing

(grants, bank loans & venture capital)• “concept manager” helps to find the right desk.• Direct feedback to Ministry of Economic Affairs• Project duration 5 years, started 2006.• Matching demand & supply (on all 4 entrepreneurship capitals)

on web-log: kansenzone.web-log.nl (in dutch)