Organizational Information

The lecture takes place on Tuesdays, 3:45 – 7:00 PM on the following dates:

21.04.2026 – Introduction & Basic Concepts

28.04.2026 – Strategy, Business Model, Lean Startup

05.05.2026 – Entrepreneurial Marketing

12.05.2026 – IP & Technology Push

19.05.2026 – Leadership

02.06.2026 – Funding & Building an Organization

09.06.2026 – Business Planning, Effectuation incl. Prep Session

16.06.2026 – Exam

Content

The lecture, as a mandatory part of the module “Entrepreneurship”, introduces the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship. Key concepts and empirical insights related to the design and implementation of new ventures are presented.

The course focuses particularly on methods for generating innovative business ideas, the translation of patents into business concepts, as well as general foundations of business model development and business planning.

Special attention is given to approaches such as Lean Startup and Effectuation, as well as concepts related to the financing of new ventures.

Each session also includes a “KIT Entrepreneurship Talk”, where experienced founders and entrepreneurs share their practical experiences in starting and building companies. Dates and speakers will be announced in advance on the EnTechnon website.

Learning Objectives

Students will be introduced to the field of entrepreneurship. After successfully completing the course, they should have an overview of the main areas of entrepreneurship and be able to understand fundamental concepts and apply key entrepreneurial principles.

Workload

Total workload for 3 ECTS credits: approximately 90 hours

Class attendance: 30 hours

Preparation and follow-up: 45 hours

Exam preparation and exam: 15 hours

Examination

Assessment is conducted in the form of a written exam (60 minutes) (according to §4(2), 1 SPO). The final grade corresponds to the grade of the written exam.

By successfully participating in a case study within the Entrepreneurship lecture, students may obtain a grade bonus. If the written exam grade is between 4.0 and 1.3, the bonus may improve the grade by up to 0.3 or 0.4.

The bonus only applies if the exam has been passed with at least a grade of 4.0. Further details will be announced during the lecture. Participation in the case study is voluntary.

Language of Instruction English

Lecturer

Literature

Füglistaller, Urs, Müller, Christoph und Volery, Thierry (2008): Entrepreneurship

Ries, Eric (2011): The Lean StartupOsterwalder, Alexander (2010): Business Model Generation

Aulet, Bill (2013): Disciplined Entrepreneurship. 24 Steps to a Successful Startup. Hoboken: Wiley.

R.C. Dorf, T.H. Byers: Technology Ventures – From Idea to Enterprise., (McGraw Hill 2008)

Hisrich, Robert D.; Ramadani, Veland (2017): Effective entrepreneurial management. Strategy, planning, risk management, and organization. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.