The document outlines the 'Technopreneurship for Everyone' initiative at Ghent University, which aims to combine entrepreneurship with education through a series of courses that help students develop marketable products and services. Key components include real-world problem-solving, an entrepreneurial mindset, and hands-on experience, while also providing insights into student outcomes, job creation, and future course developments. Funding and sustainability aspects highlight the financial and structural support needed for the program's ongoing success.

1. TECHNOPRENEURSHIP FOR
EVERYONE
UIIN Entrepreneurial universities – 30/9/2014
Jolien Coenraets
Ghent University

2. About Ghent University
Founded in 1817
11 departments
41 000+ students
Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University

3. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
TECHNOPRENEURSHIP

4. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Technopreneurial course
Project course in which students create a product / service with
market value. The course combines prior knowledge with
entrepreneurial skills.
• Tackle real societal & economical problems
• Acquire entrepreneurial skills
• Enlighten entrepreneurial spark
• Develop early prototype

5. Become an
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurial ecosystem
Think about being
an entrepreneur
Start the
entrepreneurial fire
Technopreneurial
courses
Elective courses
Intensive coaching
Status student-entrepreneur
Extracurricular
activities
Coaching
Dissertation
subject
Extracurricular
activities
Business plan
courses
Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University

6. Technopreneurship in computer science
• Two separate
courses
• Business side of
software +
technical side
• Theoretical
approach
SoftEnterprise
(9 years)
Transfer to
technopreneurial
course (1 year)
• Two separate
courses
• Entrepreneurial
mindset & skills
• Embedded in the
course structure
• One mandatory
course
• Embedded in the
course structure
• Entrepreneurial
skills & mindset
Technopreneurial
course
Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
1st master year

7. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Technopreneurship in computer science
First semester
• From idea to technical
design
• Idea generation & designing
• Changing groups
• 3 ECTS credits
Second semester
• From technical design to
prototype
• Development & prototyping
• Fixed group
• 6 ECTS credits

8. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Out of the comfort zone teaching
• Failure
• Termination of projects
• Ambiguity
• Insecurity
• Explain complicated things in
simple ways
• Work in team
• Execute a given role
• Being creative & innovative
• Take initiative
• Make your own choices
• …
Simulate real life experiences:

9. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University

10. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
OUTCOMES & IMPACT

11. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Facts & figures for 1 course
10 years
575 students
220 completed questionnaire 38%

12. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Did this course make you think about a career
as entrepreneur or intrapreneur?
No (47,73%)
Negative
direct (5,45%)
Positive
indirect
(24,55%)
Positive
direct
(18,18%)
Negative
indirect
(4,09%)

13. Did another course or person at the university
inspired you?
Yes
(34,55
%)
No
(65,45
%)
In general
With positive influence
(42,73%)
Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Yes
(48,94
%)
No
(51,06
%)

14. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Which of the following tasks have you
executed?
100.00%
90.00%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
0 <1 1 2 to 3 4 to 5 6 to 7 8 to 9 > 10
% of people
Years of experience
Start & run your own company
Higher management
Work for a startup
Research
Teaching
New product development
Innovation

15. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Job creation
+/- 150 jobs created

16. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
On project level
New technopreneurial courses (2015 – 2016): geography & bio-informatics
Technopreneurial ‘light’ course in Medicine & health dep.
Seasoned entrepreneur teaching in Bio-engineering.
Entrepreneurship will be embedded in all curricula.
Ghent University is the university with the most student
entrepreneurs in Belgium.

17. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
LESSONS LEARNED

18. Success factors
Techno-preneurial
course
Extra-curricular
activities
Student-entrepreneur
status
Starters
wallet
Elective
courses
Competitions
Coaching
Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University

19. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Success factors
Traditional approach
Force STEM students into
business course
Technopreneurship
Add entrepreneurial sauce to
prototyping course

20. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Success factors

21. Challenges
Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
1. Teaching staff needs different skillset
2. Convince professors & board members
3. Creating new courses takes time

22. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Costs & funding
Ghent
University
53k €
Flemish
government
111k €
Site visits & best practice conferences
Teaching staff events
Two part-time employees
• Course design
• Best practices
• Student coaching
• Promoting elective courses
Two year budget
164k €

23. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
Sustainability & transferability
Sustainability
• Change management
• New courses are put in place
• Course manuals are written
Transferability
@ Higher education

24. Technopreneurship for everyone - Ghent University
CONTACT & QUESTIONS
Jolien Coenraets
jolien.coenraets@ugent.be
@JolienCoenraets