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edX

Biotech — From Science to Business

via edX

Overview

New scientific discoveries in the biotechnology field can potentially change the world we live in. To do so, they need to be made available to the world. This course will help you build the knowledge and confidence to evaluate a biotech innovation's potential and develop a strategy for success.

The course illustrates the challenges of biotech entrepreneurship and what it means to start a biotech venture. It will teach you the methods needed to evaluate the potential of biotech innovations and how to define a suitable business model. You will learn how to develop a strategy to pursue with your venture and which first steps to take when starting your business endeavor.

This course is part of the professional certificate program “Realizing Biotech Innovations — A Business Guide for Scientists,” which consists of three courses designed to bring your biotech innovation to the market. The course is brought to you by the Technical University of Munich — one of Europe’s most outstanding universities in research and innovation. It offers academic expertise on biotech entrepreneurship, expanded by the hands-on expertise of those working in the field, such as industry experts and entrepreneurs who share their advice and experiences.

Syllabus

Module 1: Understanding the Business of Biotechnology

Introduction of the specific business challenges in the field of biotechnology and what it means to start a biotech business

Module 2: Assessing Your Idea

Overview on evaluating the potential of biotech business ideas and how to tailor your product or service to the market

Module 3: Modeling Your Business

Introduction to the concept of business modeling and how to apply it in the field of biotechnology

Module 4: Getting Started

Outlook on how to strategically plan the next steps to realize your biotech innovation and what to be mindful of in terms of team development and IP transfer

Taught by

Svenja Jarchow and Stefanie Weniger

Reviews

4.4 rating, based on 33 Class Central reviews

4.8 rating at edX based on 17 ratings

Start your review of Biotech — From Science to Business

  • Anonymous
    This course is fascinating!!! It systematically sorts out the entire process of biotechnology from laboratory technology to commercialization, elaborating very thoroughly on core links such as team building, strategic planning, technology transfer,…
  • Anonymous
    A comprehensive review of the very many aspects that come into being an entrepreneur in the field of science. The course covers what it means to be an entrepreneur, and what mindset you need to be one. It helps determining whether you have an idea t…
  • Nehir Elma
    This course was extremely useful and informative. Every entrepreneur who wants to start or is considering starting a biotechnology company should definitely take it. The course provides a strong foundation in both scientific thinking and business strategy, which is essential in the biotech field. It helped me better understand how innovation, research, and entrepreneurship come together in real-world applications. The examples and case studies were especially valuable and inspiring. Overall, this course increased my motivation and confidence to pursue a future in biotechnology and to contribute meaningfully to this rapidly developing industry.
  • Anonymous
    Very informative, interesting and comprehensive. It is very clear and easy to follow although the questions were not that clear sometimes.
  • Anonymous
    Very good, but the peer reveiwed assements take very long. I have currently reviwed 73 peer responses and mine still not reviewed.

    Have a nice day/night.
  • Anonymous
    Useful course. Provides good foundation to different aspects of biotech - life sciences/pharma, agri, industrial and colour coded to red, green and white. Multiple choice responses tend to require some rote learning so as to get the correct answers. This has to be reviewed. There should be some form of certificate of attendance or something to show for all who have invested time to take the course and taken time to give feedback.
  • Anonymous
    I must say it was an incredibly enriching experience. This course is a gem for anyone looking to bridge the gap between biotechnology and business in a comprehensive and engaging manner. The course content is top-notch, covering a wide range of to…
  • Anonymous
    Being a student who is currently studying my undergrad, this has increased my confidence to pursue my masters in biotechnology and has given me a pragmatic perspective as to how an industry works. The course is very well structured and delivers nothing but the best. I'm really happy with the course and its assignments. It finds the perfect balance of translating business/management into the sciences.
  • Anonymous
    Overall this was a very helpful course that assisted in my learning and understanding the business side of biotech. I would recommend it to colleagues and friends.
  • Anonymous
    Overall a great course to get a bit of an introduction of biotech entrepreneurship! I feel like I got a good overview of what it means to start a biotech business
  • Anonymous
    I highly recommend the course — From Science to Business from the Technical University of Munich. It provides a clear and well-structured introduction to the entrepreneurial side of biotechnology, covering everything from business models to commercialization strategies. The course is short but impactful—perfect for scientists, students, or early-stage entrepreneurs who want to understand how to translate biotech innovations into viable businesses. If you’re looking for a practical, accessible entry point into biotech entrepreneurship, this program is an excellent choice.
  • Anonymous
    Great information and very comprehensive. I feel more confident about what is needed to start this venture. Test questions could be better written.
  • Anonymous
    All the graded assignments are great except peer graded assignments. 2 of my peer graded assignments are not reviewed due to which my overall grade is low and I’m not eligible for certificate. I’ve given so much time for this course and still no certificate due to peers not grading my assignments
  • Anonymous
    Interesting course . I learnt many unknown topics regarding Marketing and business. The way of explanation is too good and the language of teaching is awesome , it made me ease to compete the course . Now I can answer questions related to the this topic . Thank you so much for this course .
  • Anonymous
    Solid overview and fundamentals! Easy to follow videos and summary guides. It's very helpful to hear from other founders as well.
  • Anonymous
    This course offers a clear and practical overview of biotech entrepreneurship, from strategy to IP and funding. The blend of theory and real-world considerations—like tech transfer, team building, and regulatory aspects—makes it especially valuable for aspiring biotech founders. I would recommend it for anyone looking to understand how to turn scientific innovation into a viable business.

  • Anonymous
    Great course, it provides a lot of content and depth on Biotech ventures and how to start not just a Biotech business, but any business. The highlight of the course was hearing from other founders and gaining a little of their insight on what they f…
  • Anonymous
    Very good course that covers importante aspects regarding the transfer from science to a full functioning business.
  • Anonymous
    I followed this course as a research scientist interested in the business side of my research. It introduces useful basic concepts, but as a scientist, I prefer more practical knowledge than theoretical. But I understand that that is also an aspect of business itself, it is a bit more vague. I think the course is well-structured and insightful. However, my main complaint is that it is too expensive. I would have paid for the full version 40 euros but not 140. A way to make the course cheaper is to do more extensive multiple-choice questions which also include an automatic explanation of why the answer is correct, instead of the graded questions.
  • Anonymous
    As a biotechnologist interested in entrepreneurship, I really enjoyed taking part in course: it is very well structured, including several important concepts that were, however, explained in a clear, easy to follow way. Together with the graded exercises and the question forum, I believe this course is a solid introduction to biotechnological entrepreneurship, it is totally recommendable if you are interested in this field.

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