Programme Lead and Others Involved
The module is led by Adjunct Professor Vinod Vasnani. Adjunct Senior Lecturer Randall Sie will co-teach the module.
Representatives from the enterprises providing the opportunity statements will also be present at various stages throughout.
Objectives
Students will be provided opportunities to:
- Learn and apply market validation techniques in an experiential setting;
- Learn frameworks to evaluate customer needs and come up with viable solutions;
- Differentiate mere ideas from valid business opportunities;
- Contextualize and position presentations to different stakeholder units;
- Craft business development proposals including return on investment and internal rate of returns data;
- Hone professional and career skills; and
- Strengthen team and leadership skills.
Grading
Students will be assessed based on their creativity, team collaboration, progress made in developing their project, peer reviews and overall participation. Successful students will receive 4MCs for this module, registered under MT5920 Enterprise Development.
Pre-requisites
There are no prerequisites for this module.
How the module works
Classes will take place once a week.
In each session, new tools and methodologies will be presented. Teams will then brainstorm how to apply the new tools to their search for opportunities in their specific market and technology. Teams will then be challenged to identify and interview outsiders and the tech enterprises hosting the problem statements, to confirm their conclusions before the next session. Teams will also update on the insights from the market from the week before.
In an informal setting, each team reports weekly on their progress and presents their next steps for the coming week. Other teams have an opportunity to critique and build on the team’s efforts for new opportunity identification. Participants will get an opportunity to present their ideas, get feedback and hone communications skills.
Each team will be asked to put together reports summarizing their findings – an interim report of the top 3 promising opportunities and a final report for the most promising market opportunity with a proposed technology product as well as the business model. The teams will also create and deliver presentations summarising their reports.
Registration for non-ISEM students
As this module is parked under the Industrial Systems & Engineering Management Department (ISEM), graduate students should utilise this [Submit Module Requests] function to request for non-programme requirement modules (i.e. cross-faculty modules). The request will go through a two-step approval process: it is first routed to the home department for decision before approved requests are routed to the module host(s) for final assessment. There are two Rounds of Module Requests each semester. However, a second request can only be submitted through the function after the first one has been concluded. For guidance on this see page 10 of the User Guide.
Registration for undergraduate students
Undergraduates interested to take this 5000-level module need to make an appeal via the system. Please refer to Mod Reg workflow.
The exception is for iDP students who get to take this module in the final year. iDP students can submit a module request directly on ModReg.
Do note that there are very limited placements for undergraduates who can apply on an appeal basis.
UGs interested in the IEL graduate modules can apply for consideration if they:
1. Are in 4th year (or above for Med)
2. Have an average CAP of 4.0 or above
3. In Engineering, Medicine, Science disciplines
4. Have participated in innovation, design and/or entrepreneurship activities
Fulfilling the above criteria need not guarantee a place.
Selection of projects
Please run through the projects list for Semester 1 AY2023/2024 starting in Aug 2023 and register your interest via this link: Selection of Projects
Schedule
Classes take place on Mondays, 6.00-9.00PM at E2-03-02/03 (TechHub).
Video – Module Overview
Watch this short 2.5 minute to give an overview of the module, what you could benefit from taking this module.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP-dSZniEJI
Contact
Please email Adjunct Associate Professor Vinod Vasnani at vinod@nus.edu.sg.